


Equestria Girls: Volume 1

by ChristaWolf



Series: Tails of Sparks and Emmy [3]
Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 63,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23754058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristaWolf/pseuds/ChristaWolf
Summary: The adventures of the human world's incarnations of Twilight Sparkle, Emerald Wave, and their friends Gemini, Raven, Sunset, Vinyl, and Octavia.
Relationships: Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony)/Original Character(s)
Series: Tails of Sparks and Emmy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559458
Kudos: 1





	1. The Adventure of the Stolen Crown: Part 1

High up in the Crystal Empire, the sun was beginning to set. At the train station, the Ponyville Express pulled into view, and off it stepped Princess Twilight Sparkle and her her consort, Emerald Wave. The two of them were in town for Twilight’s first royal summit as a princess. (Her coronation had been a short while ago.)

“Gotta say, that was a much more relaxed journey than the one we had the last time we came up here,” Emerald commented, as she and Twilight walked together toward the castle in the distance. “Looking forward to the summit, Sparks?”

Twilight shrugged. "Oh, I _am_ excited. But, to be honest, I'm a little nervous, too.” She sighed, pawing at the ground with her hooves. “Being a princess is just so much to get used to… What if now that I'm a princess, Celestia expects me to lead a kingdom of my own? Just because I have this crown and these wings, it doesn't mean I'll be a good leader!”

Emerald placed a hoof on her marefriend’s snout, quieting her. “Sparks, trust me on this: Celestia isn’t going to throw anything at you that you’re not ready for. Besides, this is just a summit! You’ll be fine!”

“You really think so?” Twilight asked in a small voice.

Emerald nodded. “One hundred percent. Besides, you’ve got me! And you know I’ll always back you up!”

Twilight blushed as they resumed their journey. “You really are a great marefriend, Emmy. I love you.”

Emerald kissed Twilight’s cheek, leaning up slightly to do so. “Love you too, Sparks.”

* * *

Before too long, the two of them reached the castle. As they entered the throne room, about half a dozen Crystal Pony guards holding horns played a musical fanfare, much to Twilight’s bemusement.

“Behold! Princess Twilight Sparkle!” cried one of the guards.

Princess Cadance approached, and she and Twilight quickly did their ladybugs awake routine. Then she said, “Twilight! I haven’t seen you since the coronation!” They embraced. “How have you been?!”

“I’m fine, Cadance,” Twilight replied, nuzzling her sister-in-law. “It’s good to see you too!”

Before Twilight could say anything else, Cadance grabbed Emerald and hugged her too. “And there’s my _future_ sister-in-law! I’m glad you came up, Emerald, it wouldn’t do to have Twilight here alone!”

Emerald blushed bright red. “Even if her friends weren’t back in Ponyville getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration, I’d still come! I’d be a pretty lame marefriend if I didn’t!”

“Truly, your loyalty to Princess Twilight is one of your best qualities, Lady Wave,” said a voice. Luna was now entering the throne room, accompanied by Celestia. “Her ascension affects you as well, but tonight is not the time for such discussion.”

Celestia nodded in agreement. “We have so much to discuss. But it can wait until tomorrow.” She nuzzled her former student. “The guest quarters are to the left, Twilight. Sleep well.”

“Goodnight, Celestia,” replied Twilight, smiling. “See you tomorrow.”

* * *

Emerald yawned as she and Twilight entered the [room](http://bit.ly/3aiiZ1t) that had been prepared for them. Like everything else, it was made of crystal, with a large four-poster bed, several windows, and a small vanity. “Sheesh… who knew eight hours on a train could tired a filly out, huh?”

“No kidding,” said Twilight, placing her crown on their nightstand. She stared at it thoughtfully, her face reflected in the star-shaped jewel at its center. “I’m really glad you’re here, Emerald… I wouldn’t want to be alone tonight.”

Emerald frowned some as she climbed into the bed. “You okay?”

“I guess so,” said Twilight, shrugging again. “I guess I’m just nervous… I’m not an ordinary pony anymore, Emmy. What if my royal duties start taking me away from you?”

Emerald hugged her. “Hey, hey… one step at a time, Twilight. And besides, royal duties or no, there isn’t a force in Equestria that could make me leave you.” She smiled. “Let’s get some sleep, huh? Big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, big day,” echoed Twilight, climbing into bed beside Emerald. She wrapped a wing around the yellow unicorn’s barrel, and before too long both of them were asleep.

* * *

Just an hour had passed since Twilight and Emerald had gone to sleep. In a different part of the castle, a magic mirror built by Starswirl the Bearded began to glow. It was shaped like an elongated horseshoe, with a purple frame and a pane of glass that rippled like water whenever the enchantments placed upon it were being used, as it did now.

Through the rippling glass stepped a pony wearing a black cloak. Her name was Sunset Shimmer. Beneath the cloak, she had amber fur with a red and yellow mane and tail. Her eyes were a blue-green color, which matched her magic aura.

Moving as quietly as possible, Sunset used her magic to open the doors of the mirror room and swiftly crept down the hall, evading the Canterlot unicorn guard as she went. She soon reached the door of the guest room and opened it, heading inside.

While Emerald and Twilight slept, Sunset quickly made her way across the bedroom to the nightstand, took Twilight’s crown in her own magic, and swapped it with an identical copy, placing the real deal inside her saddlebags. But as she began heading back toward the door, she tripped over Emerald’s saddlebags, crying out in surprise.

Emerald sat bolt upright and looked across the room at Sunset, frowning. “Who’s there?!” she called out, squinting in the semi-darkness.

Sunset turned around, her horn glowing as she prepared a silencing spell, but Emerald leapt out of bed and threw up a shield, as Twilight had shown her when they’d begun working on building up Emerald’s magical prowess.

Twilight, waking at Emerald’s shout, saw something glittering in Sunset’s bag and knew what it was immediately. “My crown! She's got my crown!” she yelled, leaping out of bed and galloping after the fleeing Sunset. “Stop! Thief! She's stolen my crown!”

Twilight’s voice bounced off the crystalline walls of the castle, awakening the other princesses (except Luna, who was up already) and rousing the guards to action. A great chase ensued as Twilight, Emerald, and half a dozen royal guards all tried to intercept Sunset, but she slipped through their hooves like water.

Returning to the room where the mirror stood, Twilight tackled Sunset to the ground, but the crown fell out of the bag, bounced on the floor once, and flew through the glass pane of the mirror, disappearing from sight.

“What did you do with my crown?!” Twilight exclaimed, visibly furious. “Are you crazy?!”

Sunset smirked as she got to her hooves and trotted back to the portal. “Sorry it had to be this way... _Princess,_ ” she said, spitting out the title like it was poison. Then she stepped through the portal, and was gone.

* * *

“I just can’t believe it,” said Twilight, sitting on the mirror room’s floor a short while later with a forlorn look on her face. “Who was that mare? Why would she take my crown?! Where did she go?!”

The other three princesses entered the room at that moment, led by Celestia. “I believe I can answer one of your questions, Twilight,” she said, her voice soft. “That pony could only have been Sunset Shimmer, a former student of mine. She began her studies with me not long before you did.”

“I thought she looked familiar,” Cadance observed. “I remember I was foalsitting Twilight one afternoon, during midterm exams at the School for Gifted Unicorns. I saw her studying at a picnic table..”

Celestia nodded. “Sunset was second only to Twilight in terms of raw magical talent, but she was also very ambitious. When she did not get what she wanted as quickly as she liked, she turned cruel and dishonest.” She sighed. “I tried to help her, but she eventually decided to abandon her studies and pursue her own path, one that has sadly led to her stealing Twilight’s crown.”

Emerald held up the fake crown in her magic. “She replaced Twilight's with this one.” While similar in size and shape to the real thing, it was obviously thrown together, and otherwise would not have passed muster in the light of day. 

Celestia took the duplicate in her own magic and inspected it closely. “I suppose Sunset Shimmer thought you wouldn't notice right away that this was not yours, Twilight,” she began. “And by the time you did, it would be too late to go after your crown and Element of Harmony.”

“But I don't understand,” Twilight said. “Where did she take the crown?”

“That is a more complicated question,” Luna replied, gesturing to the mirror. “As you are now aware, this is no ordinary mirror. It is a gateway to another world. It has always been kept in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, but when Princess Cadance took over the Crystal Empire, we sent it here for her to watch over.”

“I had always hoped that Sunset Shimmer would someday use it to return, to come back to Equestria seeking my guidance,” added Celestia. “Obviously, this is not what has happened.”

Twilight gaped. “Another _world_? That’s amazing! Who built it? What world does it lead to?”

Luna smiled slightly. “You are familiar with the story of Starswirl the Bearded and his defeat of the sirens, yes?”

Emerald raised a hoof. “I’m not. Mind giving us the cliffs-notes version?”

“Certainly.” Luna cleared her throat and began. “Thousands of moons ago, before my sister and I took the throne of Equestria, a unicorn scholar named Stygian encountered three beautiful but dangerous creatures outside his village: the sirens.”

Luna used her magic to produce an image of Stygian and the Dazzlings, in a fashion not unlike a storybook. “The sirens had the power to charm ponies with their music. But to maintain this power, they had to feed on the negativity and distrust of others.” The image changed to show groups of ponies fighting with one another, with the sirens at the center of the image. 

“The more of this negative energy they consumed, the stronger their voices became, and the farther they could spread their dark magic,” Luna continued. “If the sirens had their way, they would have divided and conquered all of Equestria.”

“What happened to them?” Emerald asked.

“Stygian traversed Equestria, meeting six ponies whom he believed would be able to vanquish the sirens,” Luna said. “These were Rockhoof, Mistmane, Meadowbrook, Somnambula, Flash Magnus, and of course Starswirl himself. They became known as the Pillars of Equestria, and enacted a desperate plan to defeat the sirens: first by confusing them and freeing those who had been brainwashed, then by opening a portal to a realm without magic. The plan succeeded, and following the sirens’ defeat, Starswirl began to investigate the existence of parallel realities, building this mirror to contain his portal spell.”

“Woooooow…” Twilight was looking utterly awestruck. “I had no idea he built a mirror! Does lead to the same world the sirens were banished to?”

Luna nodded. “Because that realm has no magic, Starswirl placed several protective enchantments on this portal to protect it from magical incursions. Firstly, a spell to strip any incoming creature of their own innate magic. While we do not know what lies beyond the mirror, I can safely say that when you step through, you will no longer be able to use your unicorn magic, nor your flight or strength.”

Twilight had taken out a notebook and was currently jotting down notes. “What other spells were there?”

“Precautions,” Luna answered. “One spell locks the gateway to a specific window of time in which it can be open, in this case, once every thirty moons. When you cross over, you will have a little bit less than a week to return home. Otherwise, the portal will close, and And once it does, it will be another thirty moons before you will be able to use it to return.”

“And the next precaution?” Twilight asked.

“In the event of a magical incursion, such as taking an Element of Harmony into an alternate world, those affected may develop pony characteristics for a brief period,” Luna said. “The effects are temporary and will reverse themselves after a short time, provided the portal on the other side remains undamaged. If it were, that could cause a thaumaturgical feedback loop.”

Emerald blinked. “What’s that?”

“Well, let’s say Sunset were to damage the portal with my element,” Twilight began. “If she did, that would cause magic to leak into the other world, altering its physical laws to be similar to ours. The extra magic would then cause more damage, and that in turn would cause still _more_ magic to flow, and so on until eventually, the portal would overload and create an explosion. Combine that with the transformative component, and we might end up changing an entire species into ponies.”

Emerald gulped. “Oookay, that sounds bad. Sounds like we need to get your crown back ASAP.”

“Exactly,” Cadance agreed. “Without it, the other Elements of Harmony have no power and Equestria is left without one of its most important means of defense.”

Luna nodded too. “Your crown does not belong in the place Sunset Shimmer now calls home. And in her possession, your Element of Harmony will no doubt be used to bring harm to the inhabitants of this other realm. They will _not_ have the power to defend themselves.”

“You understand the importance of your task?” Celestia asked.

Twilight nodded. “Of course.”

“Good,” Celestia replied. “You will have to leave as soon as I have risen the sun.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked. “I don’t know how I can sleep with all of this hanging over me!”

Luna smiled. “I can ensure you have a dreamless sleep, Twilight Sparkle. It shall take but a moment.” She touched her horn to Twilight’s, and both horns glowed blue for a few seconds. “It is done. Return to your chambers at once, you will not have trouble falling asleep.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, Luna… I guess I just have one more question… can Emerald come with me?”

There was a brief pause as the three princesses considered the question. Finally, Cadance spoke. “I wouldn’t dream of separating my favorite sister-in-law from her special somepony… and she may be an asset in navigating the other world.” She smirked slightly. “And even if I said no, I have the feeling she’d go anyway.”

Emerald nodded. “Count on it.”

“Then it is decided,” said Luna, casting the same spell on Emerald that she had on Twilight. “Upon the morrow, the two of you shall venture forth and retrieve Twilight’s crown. Good night, and good luck.”

Twilight bowed her head. “Goodnight, everypony… and thank you.” And, once again, she and Emerald departed for their bedroom.

* * *

Sunset Shimmer grinned to herself as she climbed out of the portal, getting to her feet easily. She wasn’t a pony in this other world, instead she was a creature called a human. While her human form had a similar look to her unicorn one, (amber skin, red and yellow hair, the same blue-green eyes) she also stood on two legs rather than four, had no tail, and possessed hands and feet rather than hooves. Adjusting to such a different shape had been hard at first, but after two and a half years here, none of the humans she knew would ever suspect she had once been a pony.

Throwing the cloak off herself, she picked up the crown from where it had fallen and put it back in her backpack, before starting the short walk from the portal statue to the [apartment](http://bit.ly/2wYDQsd) where she’d been living after its previous occupants had moved out. It was sparsely decorated, but since she knew she’d be ruling Equestria as its queen in a few days and would never see this place again, that hardly mattered.

Once she got home, she climbed the stairs to her loft and put her bag down next to her nightstand, flopping down on the bed. Even if Princess Twilight came to retrieve her crown, she’d be at a disadvantage. Sunset had spent the last thirty moons bending these humans to her will, there was no way Twilight would be able to undo that, especially not with just six days before the Fall Formal.

Sunset let herself smile as she drifted off to sleep. There was no possible way she could lose, and that made her happy.

* * *

The next morning began just like any other day in the city of Canterlot. The morning sun shone bright as it bathed the town in light, and the air had a distinct crispness to it that only came with early fall. At Canterlot High School, yellow school buses pulled up and dropped off dozens of teenagers of varying ages before pulling away again to head for the bus depot.

On the front lawn of the school was a tall statue of a rearing horse, with a large plinth supporting it. No one was quite sure when it had showed up, but the prevailing theory was that it had been there when the school opened in the 1930s, and had once marked the geographic center of town, though decades of suburban expansion meant that was no longer true. 

It was only when the trickle of buses had begun to slow and most of the students were inside did anything peculiar happen. One side of the plinth, the side facing the front steps, began to ripple like a pond after a stone had been dropped into it. Then, two figures flew from it and landed spread-eagled on the ground.

“Oh buck… I feel like I got hit by one of Big Mac’s apple carts,” muttered one of the figures. Both of them were girls of about 16 or so, and one had soft yellow skin and curly brown hair, while the other had soft lavender skin and blue hair streaked with purple and pink. What was more, both of them now wore clothes: the yellow girl had on blue denim jeans, a dark t-shirt with sleeves that went to her elbows, glasses with dark blue frames, and red and white tennis shoes.

“Me too,” groaned the purple girl. She opened her eyes, and for several seconds her vision blurred as she tried to get her bearings. Then, very slowly, she brought her front limbs in front of her and found that instead of hooves, she had hands, not unlike those of a minotaur. She had clothes too, she wore a light blue blouse with a purple skirt that had her cutie mark on one side, a pink bow tie, and purple platform shoes with pink socks. Slung around her shoulders was a blue backpack.

“Okaaaaaay…” Twilight said, looking at her hands with curiosity and bewilderment. “Luna didn’t mention we’d change too!” She tried to get up, and found her new body didn’t seem comfortable on all fours. Remembering minotaurs, Twilight used the plinth to help her stand, this time on two legs. “Emerald, do you need help standing?”

“Please,” she replied, not having moved an inch. Twilight gripped Emerald’s hand in hers, and soon both of them were standing.

Emerald looked at herself, looking shocked and somewhat disturbed. “Sparks… what the buck are we? Some kinda freakish mutant monkey thing?”

“It seems like it,” Twilight agreed, nodding. “The portal must have changed our physiological blueprint when we crossed over to help us fit in.” 

Emerald nodded. “And that means what, in plain ponish?”

“It means our species,” replied Twilight. “The portal changed our species so we won’t attract unwanted attention.”

Emerald sighed. “Well, that’s just great. Six days in an alternate dimension in weird freaky naked monkey bodies. Remind me to grab some of AJ’s hard cider when we get home, huh?”

Twilight chuckled. “We’ll see. Come on, let’s try walking.” And so, remembering how Iron Will had moved, she took a step forward.. and promptly fell over. “Waaaugh!” she cried, face planting on the sidewalk leading to the front steps.

Just behind them, the last bus of the morning pulled up at that moment, and a crowd of students got off, chattering among themselves. No one paid any attention to the two transformed ponies, even though Twilight was trying and failing to keep her balance on her new legs.

Suddenly, there came the sound of a throat clearing, and a [girl](https://i.imgur.com/OMLjx5c.png) with light grey skin, brownish-red hair, and green eyes approached. She was wearing a blue sweater, a gold necklace with a clock-shaped charm attached, dark trousers, and black heels. The girl smiled, and spoke in a soft Trottingham accent: “Excuse me, but are you two quite alright?”

“Not exactly,” Twilight admitted, now standing on all fours again. 

“Allow me to help you up then,” said the girl, offering her hand for Twilight to take. Twilight took it and quickly got up, then helped Emerald again.

Twilight smiled. “Thanks… that was very nice of you.”

“No trouble at all,” said the girl, still smiling. She held on to Twilight’s hand, and soon Twilight was able to walk on two legs. Emerald followed, and together the three of them climbed the stairs and entered the school building.

“What _is_ this place?” Twilight asked, looking around the main [foyer](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/f6e0ede0-4003-4b71-b1bd-925dc003f28c/d9qknyo-2827ad50-da9a-4fbd-8519-5aa12b217257.png/v1/fill/w_1024,h_572,q_75,strp/equestria_girls_canterlot_high_inside_vector_by_ravecrocker-d9qknyo.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi9mNmUwZWRlMC00MDAzLTRiNzEtYjFiZC05MjVkYzAwM2YyOGMvZDlxa255by0yODI3YWQ1MC1kYTlhLTRmYmQtODUxOS01YWExMmIyMTcyNTcucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQiLCJoZWlnaHQiOiI8PTU3MiJ9XV19.9xfSGuqDkL1Ym8GlEnr4PY0gy93SMqW_WkRrveEMT5c) of CHS with an awestruck expression.

“This is Canterlot High School,” the girl replied patiently. “Are you new here?”

“You might say that,” Emerald said. “I’m Emerald Wave, and this is Twilight Sparkle.”

“A pleasure to meet you both,” the girl said. “I am Gemini Shadow, and don’t worry, I’m new here too. I only started here last week.” She turned right, heading toward a staircase that led to a second floor, where there were hundreds of green lockers. “Do you have your class schedules?” she asked as she opened hers and began taking out books.

Twilight shook her head. “We’re, uh, really new,” she said.

Gem chuckled. “So I see. In that case, Principal Celestia can help with that. Her office is down the hall and the third door on your left.”

“Thank you so much!” Twilight chirped. “Actually, while you’re here, have you seen anypon- I mean, _anybody_ , carrying anything that looked like a crown?”

Gem shook her head. “I’m afraid not, but if anyone has, I’m sure Celestia will be able to tell you.” She closed her locker door. “I’d talk more, but I really must get to class.” She began walking toward a classroom, but halfway there she turned and waved. “Feel free to come look for me at lunch!” 

“We will!” Twilight called, before setting off toward the administration area, somehow managing not to fall over.

“These bodies are awful,” Emerald muttered as they hurried along. “How in the world do these creatures manage without tails? I feel like I’m standing on stilts here! And why are their teats so high up?!”

“I wish I knew, Emmy, I wish I knew,” Twilight said, as [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OflEaL-DX5o) began to play. Then she started to sing:

> _I've never seen a place_
> 
> _That's quite like this_
> 
> _Everything is turned around_
> 
> _This crazy world is upside-down_
> 
> _Getting on my feet_
> 
> _It's the hand that I was dealt_
> 
> _But I don't have much time with them_
> 
> _Got to learn all that I can_
> 
> _They don't use any magic or fly with any wings_
> 
> _I don't get these funny clothes, skinny legs or tiny nose_
> 
> _Everything's confusing when it seems so new_
> 
> _But I look a little closer and it starts to feel familiar too_
> 
> _What a strange new world_
> 
> _I'm trying to make heads or tails of this strange new world_
> 
> _Sorting through the small details of this strange new world_

Emerald added her own verse:

> _I've never seen a place_
> 
> _That's quite like this_
> 
> _Wearing shoes when they walk,_
> 
> _Pets that don’t know how to talk._

> _Schools instead of castles,_
> 
> _and hands instead of hooves._
> 
> _Learning all we can here,_
> 
> _‘cause we don’t have time to lose._

Then they duetted:

> _What a strange new world_
> 
> _I'm trying to make heads or tails of this strange new world_
> 
> _Sorting through the small details of this strange new world_

By the time the song ended, they had reached the [admin area](http://bit.ly/38aKXKT). There were two doors, one with a sun above it and the other with a crescent moon. Between them was a little work area with a desk that had a computer monitor sitting on top of it. 

Sitting in a chair behind the desk was a white-skinned [woman](http://bit.ly/2wfwwIf) with dark brown hair and eyes, wearing a crisp blue business suit and skirt with a white dress shirt and a red cravat, with dark grey pantyhose and pumps that matched the suit.

As Twilight and Emerald approached, the woman looked up from her computer screen and smiled. “New students?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Super new. I am Twilight Sparkle, and this is Emerald Wave.”

“I’m Raven Inkwell, Principal Celestia’s secretary,” said the woman. “I’ll tell her you’re coming.” She pressed a button on a small intercom and spoke into it. “Two new students to see you, ma’am.” A brief pause, and then: “You can go in now, ladies.”

Twilight nodded and opened the door with the sun above it to reveal a warmly-painted [office](http://bit.ly/38ckVHl) with a wooden desk taking up most of the space. Seated behind it was this world’s version of Celestia, complete with the colorful wavy hair, though she also had pale pink skin, and wore a soft golden colored suit jacket with a purple dress shirt and pants. Pinned to her lapel was a sun badge.

Celestia smiled. “How may I help you?” she asked. “Raven says you’re new students.”

Twilight nodded eagerly, “My name's Twilight Sparkle, and this is Emerald Wave.”

“Very nice to meet you both,” Celestia said, pulling open a desk drawer and taking out a couple pieces of paper. “Let me just get your basic information and I’ll have Raven print out a couple schedules for you. Addresses?”

Twilight and Emerald quickly gave Celestia their old Canterlot addresses: In Twilight’s case, it was the Sparkle family home that she had lived in before becoming Princess Celestia’s student, and for Emerald it was the apartment she’d rented just a few blocks down from K-COLT’s studios.

Celestia took this information down, along with various other details like gender, names of parents, ages, and so on. Soon, both girls had two identical class schedules in their hands, along with locker assignments and pin codes for lunch.

“Was there anything else you needed?” Celestia asked, once all of this was complete.

Twilight nodded again. “We’re looking for a crown, it’s made of gold with a big star in the middle, like on my skirt.”

“Yes, that’s our crown for the Fall Formal Princess election this year,” Celestia explained. “I've had Vice Principal Luna put it somewhere for safekeeping.”

Emerald paused. “Uh… princess election? You can vote for royalty here?”

Celestia chuckled. “Not exactly. Here at Canterlot High, the students select one of their peers to represent them. She receives her crown at the Fall Formal.” She looked between the two girls. “Were either of you interested in running for Princess of the Fall Formal this year?”

“Can anyone run?” Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded. “You just need to let the head of the Fall Formal planning committee know you'd like to be on the ballot. Was there anything else?”

“Nope! That was it!” Twilight said, smiling. “Thank you so much for your help!”

“It’s my pleasure,” Celestia said, smiling too. She walked them both to her door. “If you do need anything else, my door is always open.” Once they were outside, she closed the door again.

“Sparks, why didn't ya just tell her the crown was yours and ask for it back?” Emerald asked, as she and Twilight headed for their first class. 

Twilight shrugged, “Oh, I was going to, but imagine if one of _them_ showed up in Equestria saying they came from a place filled with tall, fleshy, two-legged creatures with _these_?” She wiggled her fingers. “We'd think they were crazy!”

“Everypony but Lyra,” Emerald said, shaking her head. “She’d flip if she saw this place.”

“She definitely would,” Twilight agreed. “Looks like if I want my crown back, I'll have to become Princess of the Canterlot High Fall Formal. So that's what I'm gonna do!” She beamed.

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” asked Emerald, raising her eyebrow.

“I have no idea!” Twilight answered, her smile still intact. 

As they reached the classroom door, Emerald sighed. “Not exactly how I planned to spend today, but if it helps us blend in…”

Twilight nodded. “We can’t let any of the locals know we aren’t one of them. Who knows how they’d react if they knew we were ponies?”

Emerald gulped. “Good point… let’s get this over with.” Looking a little nervous, she pulled open the door and stepped inside.

* * *

The morning zipped by as Twilight and Emerald got used to attending a human school. Being new, their teachers exempted them from any homework that was assigned before their arrival, but made it clear they were expected to catch up quickly. Twilight was thrilled at the prospect of doing homework in a new place, Emerald less so.

The hardest part was quickly learning fine motor skills. Twilight at least had some familiarity with bipedal bodies, as once she’d accidentally cast a spell that turned her into a dragon, and got stuck in that form for a few weeks until Rarity managed to cast the counter-spell on her. During passing periods, she quickly tutored Emerald in the basics of holding and writing with a pencil, and soon both of them had managed to write at least in print, as unicorn foals did when first learning levitation.

Around noon, the bell rang for them to go to lunch in the cafeteria. That was a wide open room with dozens and dozens of long rectangular tables, with 8 chairs at each one. There were plenty of windows to let in the sun, and a row of double doors that led out onto a patio.

Along one wall was a buffet-like area, where various older women (especially one with green skin that very strongly resembled Granny Smith) placed dishes of food onto metal trays. That day’s entrée was spaghetti with tomato sauce, served with garlic breadsticks, carrots, a small Italian salad, and a cup of strawberries and blueberries with milk to drink.

Emerald and Twilight quickly grabbed their meals and carried their trays, searching for a place to sit. It seemed like most of the students gathered with others that shared their interests, so there were separate tables for the athletes, the fashionistas, the dramas, the eco-kids, the techies, and the rockers.

One of the tables that didn’t have a specific group sitting at it was one in the far corner, next to one of the windows. Seated there was Gemini, and a purple-skinned [girl](https://i.imgur.com/IuBKYt8.png) with magenta eyes and black hair with purple streaks. She wore a grey t-shirt with a blue ripped vest on top, a purple plaid skirt with a black belt, and black boots.

Emerald saw them, and blinked. “Hey, isn’t that Raven?”

“Maybe,” Twilight commented. “Or at least the local version of her, which means the grey girl she’s sitting with is this world’s version of Orion.”

“But Orion’s not female,” Emerald said, puzzled. “Unless…” She shook her head. “Nah, let’s wait and see if she tells us.” She began to walk toward that table, smiling. “Hey there! Room for two more?”

“Ah, Emerald! Twilight!” Gem beamed. “Please, sit down! Raven, these are the girls I was telling you about, Twilight Sparkle and Emerald Wave.”

“Good to meetcha,” said Raven, shaking both their hands as they sat down. “Name’s Raven Sable. Gem says you’re new, huh?” She had a strong Manehattan accent, it seemed.

Twilight nodded. “We sure are! Are you new too?”

Raven shook her head. “Nah, I’ve been here for a while. First day?”

Emerald nodded. “Yeah, why?”

Raven leaned in to whisper. “‘Cause it looks like ol’ Sunset Shimmer hasn’t found ya yet. Consider yourselves lucky, usually she zeroes in on the new kids and welcomes them by scaring the hell out of ‘em.”

Emerald looked surprised. “She does, huh? Who is Sunset Shimmer, anyway? No one’s really told us.”

“She’s…” Gem paused. “Well… she’s the unofficial queen bee of the school, you see.”

“Queen bitch, more like,” said Raven at once. “The Sisters might make the rules, but Shimmer’s the one who’s really in charge, if you catch my drift.”

Gem nodded. “She’s won the Fall Formal Princess crown before, and she’ll win it this year too. No one ever dares to challenge her.”

“Until now,” Twilight announced. “Because I've decided to run for Princess of the Fall Formal!”

Raven spat out her milk. “Daaaaaaaaayum! It takes real guts to muscle in on Shimmer’s territory like that. I like you, Sparkle, you got spunk.” She grinned. “I mean, you’re completely insane, but hey.”

“I am? Why’s that?” Twilight asked.

“Sunset has a tendency to ruin the reputations of anyone who tries to cross her path,” Gem explained. “Last year, Coco Pommel tried to run for Princess of the Spring Fling, so Sunset had those two minions of hers make a really insulting video about her. Sunset won in a landslide, and Coco was so upset she transferred to Crystal Prep just to get away from Sunset.”

Raven nodded. “It’s gonna take a lot of work to get everyone to vote for you, Shimmer’s had this school divided and conquered ever since she showed up. But if you’re really serious about meeting her…” she pointed across the room at a girl with light grayish yellow skin, bright two-toned blue hair, and purple sunglasses. “Vinyl Scratch is who you want to talk to. She’s head of the planning committee.”

Emerald’s jaw dropped. “No way… I used to know her!”

“Oh?” Gem echoed, intrigued. “Is she a friend?”

“Yeah,” Emerald said, shrugging. “Where does the committee meet?”

“Big gym, where they have PE,” Raven said. “Best time to find her is after school lets out.”

Twilight nodded. “After school. Got it!” She smiled. “Thanks for your assistance, girls. We really appreciate it.”

Gem smiled back, and gently held Twilight’s and Emerald’s hands for a few moments. “You’re very welcome, Twilight. I can’t quite say what it is about you, but I think making you Fall Formal Princess could be the beginning of some much needed changes around here.”

Raven chuckled. “One thing at a time, Gem. One thing at a time.”

* * *

Once school let out that afternoon, Twilight and Emerald headed for the [gymnasium](http://bit.ly/3cjly4V). Raven had mentioned to find Vinyl directing about a dozen or so volunteers to assist in blowing up balloons and hanging streamers, among other things.

Twilight approached. “Um, excuse me, Ms. Scratch?”

Vinyl turned around, looking surprised even behind her sunglasses. “Hey, hey, Ms. Scratch is my mom. Who are you two?”

Twilight smiled. “I’m Twilight, and this is Emerald. I’m running for Fall Formal Princess against Sunset Shimmer.”

No sooner had the words left her lips did a ringing silence fall on the gym. Vinyl lowered her sunglasses in a gesture Emerald found very familiar, and said in a low voice: “You’re kidding, right?”

Emerald shook her head. “Nope, she means it. We know, we know, Sunset Shimmer’s really awful and stuff.”

“Awful isn’t even the half of it,” Vinyl continued. “But if you’re willing to take the risk, then… okay.” She held out a clipboard. “Dance is next week. If you think you can get the whole school to vote for you _without_ Shimmer beating you into last month, you must’ve got guts of steel or something.”

Twilight signed her name, and as she did so, Sunset herself strode into the room. She now wore a faux-leather jacket with a purple shirt, orange skirt, and black boots decorated with purple flames. “SCRATCH!” she roared. “This looks terrible! This is _my_ coronation, there should be more streamers near the stage and fewer balloons!”

“Last I checked, you aren’t the head of the planning committee, Shimmer,” Vinyl shot back. “Besides which, this isn’t exactly going to be _your_ coronation this time around.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “Obviously it's gonna be _my_ coronation. I'm running unopposed.”

“Not anymore!” said Twilight, crossing her arms. “Hello, Sunset. I’m running too.”

Sunset snarled. “Oh _are_ you,” she said, venom dripping from her words. “Come with me, _Princess_. You and I need to have a talk.” With that, she grabbed Twilight by the neck of her shirt, pulling her out of the gym and into a dimly lit hallway nearby.

* * *

“Can't believe I didn't recognize you in class,” Sunset said, pacing around Twilight in a circle. “Shoulda known Princess Celestia would send her prized pupil here after my crown.”

“It's _my_ crown!” Twilight shot back, crossing her arms again.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Whatever. This is just a minor setback for me. You don't know the first thing about this place, and _I_ already rule it. You wanna be a princess here? Please. You don't know the first thing about fitting in.”

“If that's so, why do you even need my crown?” Twilight asked. “You went to an awful lot of trouble to switch it with the one that belongs here.”

Sunset chuckled darkly. “I needed it for an experiment. Pop quiz: what happens when you bring an Element of Harmony into an alternate world?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted. “I’ve never seen it happen before, but if you use it here, you could cause utter chaos and destruction!”

Sunset shrugged. “As if I care what happens to this pathetic little backwater. These humans are so weak, it was foal’s play bending them to my will.” She smirked. “And to think _you're_ supposed to be Princess Celestia's star student. Then again, what were the chances she'd find somepony as bright as _me_ to take under her wing after _I_ decided to leave Equestria? Bit embarrassing that you were the best she could do.” She walked away, but let off one last parting shot: “Drop out now, and maybe I won’t ruin your life while you’re here.”

Twilight balled her fists. “I’m not dropping out, Sunset Shimmer, and you can’t make me!”

Sunset laughed deviously, and Twilight felt herself shiver. “I certainly can, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, departing at last. “Just you wait.”

* * *

“So, what did Sunset say after she dragged you out into the hall?” Emerald asked. She and Twilight were walking to the school’s library, which was still open so students could get in some extra help with their homework if they needed it.

“Threatened me, taunted me, and so on,” Twilight answered. “I will give her one thing, though: if we’re really going to fit in here, we’ll need to do some research! This place has a school. I have to believe it's got a library!”

They went inside, and found an enormous circular [room](http://bit.ly/2PCarum) not unlike the library in Ponyville, only much larger. There were tables for students to sit at and work or read, a large skylight high above them, about six computers grouped together at a circular table, and of course two whole levels of bookshelves, with two staircases connecting each level.

“Oh Celestia…” Twilight whispered. “This is the most amazing place I’ve ever been… there’s bound to be all kinds of information in here!”

“Good thing we can actually _read_ the books here,” Emerald commented. “Should we get to work?”

Twilight nodded. “Let’s!”

And with that, the two quickly began to explore the library, carrying piles of books over to one of the reading tables. This was harder than it looked, since neither of them had magic to carry the books, so the piles they made were so tall, they could hardly carry them. At one point, Twilight tried using one of the computers, but she couldn’t figure out how to use the keys when they were so much smaller than her fists. When they tried to use the copier, the light it made was so bright that Twilight jumped back in shock, letting out a startled whinny before she could stop herself. Through it all, Sunset’s minions snuck around taking pictures with their phones.

Finally, they gathered up all the books they needed and got to reading, which took quite a while. Hours passed, with the library getting increasingly quiet as students left for the night. The skylight steadily began to darken with the approach of night, and as it did, a voice on the intercom announced: “The library will be closing in five minutes.”

Twilight sat up, as if struck by lightning. “Oh no! I hadn't even thought about where we're gonna sleep tonight!”

“Sleep?” asked a familiar posh voice. “Don’t you both have homes to go to?” Gem had entered the library with Raven, and was looking a little confused at Twilight’s statement.

Twilight blinked. “Uh… yeah! Uh, we haven’t really unpacked yet, so we were thinking of maybe sleeping here? I’m sure there’s a part of this room no one uses.”

“Yes, but the night janitors will certainly find you, in any case,” Gem said. “Besides, it’s the weekend, and two days is a very long time to be cooped up in an empty school. Why don’t you come home with me tonight, Twilight? Raven and I already had a sleepover planned, adding two more won’t be a problem.”

Twilight smiled. “I think we’d like that, Gemini. Thank you.”

The four of them exited the library, heading toward the school’s front doors. As they went outside and passed the portal back to Equestria, Emerald crossed her fingers, hoping they would be back home sooner rather than later.


	2. The Adventure of the Stolen Crown: Part 2

In another world, in another Canterlot, two humans and two ponies who simply looked like humans walked from Canterlot High School and through the darkening streets of the city toward the suburban areas. The night sky was clear, allowing Twilight and Emerald a view of alien stars.

“It really is very nice of you to take us in like this, Gem,” Twilight said to the grey girl walking next to her.

Gem smiled. “I’d do anything to help a friend, Twilight. I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I’m already beginning to see the two of you as friends.” She led them across a few more blocks, and soon they’d arrived at a house that looked very familiar to Emerald: a two-story Victorian home with a sizable front porch. Perched on either side of the front door were two gargoyles.

Emerald gaped. “No. Way,” she said, before she could stop herself.

“Oh, I know!” Gem giggled as she unlocked the door. “This used to be my family’s summer house, but when I moved here they gave it to me to stay in instead, my parents are back in Trottingham, you see.”

Gem stepped inside and flicked on the lights, revealing a hallway with four doorways on two walls: on the right side was the door to the sitting room, and next to it, her study. On the left side of the hallway was the door to the kitchen and a door to the library, and directly in front was a staircase leading to all the bedrooms.

Gem led them into the sitting room, which looked sleek and modern in contrast to the house’s exterior. There was a white carpet, pale blue walls, some tasteful paintings by Van Gogh, a flatscreen TV resting above an electric fireplace, and an assortment of chairs and couches.

“Do make yourselves comfortable!” said Gem, smiling happily. “I’ll go and get drinks for everyone!” She left, and Raven briefly excused herself to use the restroom, leaving Twilight and Emerald alone.

“Sparks,” Emerald whispered, “If we’re gonna get help from these humans, we’re gonna need to tell them the truth.”

“But Emerald, this is a really delicate situation!” Twilight replied. “What if when they find out how different we really are, they decide not to help us after all?”

Emerald smiled and kissed Twilight deeply. It was a bit messier than usual since she was unused to kissing with human lips instead of a pony muzzle, but it got the point across. “Trust me, they’ll help us. But only if we’re honest with them about who we are and why we’re here.” She took Twilight’s hand in hers. “Do you believe me?”

Twilight nodded. “Always, Emmy.” She smiled. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Sparks,” said Emerald, just as Raven and Gem returned.

Gem was holding a tray of tea cups with an assortment of cookies for them to enjoy, and she smiled as she placed the tray down on the coffee table. “I should’ve known the two of you were dating, you look at each other in just the same way that Raven and I do!”

Emerald smiled. “Yeah, we are. Sparks and me have been dating for close to a year, ever since I moved to… the town where she’s from.”

“Oh? And where’s that?” Gem asked curiously. “I thought I detected a Canterlot accent in your voice, Twilight.”

Twilight blushed as she took a tea cup and added milk, “Well… it’s kind of a long story. Emerald and I… we’re not like you.”

Raven blinked. “Huh?”

“What my marefriend means to say is,” Emerald said, “We’re ponies.”

Raven had been sipping her own tea as Emerald spoke, and at her last two words, she performed an excellent spit-take. “What?! I don’t… but how?! You look human!”

Twilight shook her head. “While I’m sure that if you x-rayed us both, you’d think we’re just like you, the truth is that we really are another species. The statue on the front lawn of the school conceals a portal to the world where Emerald and I come from… and it’s Sunset Shimmer’s home too.”

“Okay, that _does_ make sense,” Raven said, thinking it over. “No one really knows where she came from, she just showed up one day and started walking around like she owned the place. Now you’re saying she’s secretly an alien horse from another dimension?”

“How very _Star Trot_ ,” Gem observed, sipping her tea. “Please, continue. May I ask why you’re here?”

“Back home, Twilight is a princess,” Emerald explained. “And that witch Shimmer stole her crown for some reason, and we have to get it back.”

Twilight nodded. “My crown is a powerful magical artifact called an Element of Harmony. Sunset took it from me yesterday evening, and so we came through to this world to get it.”

“So that’s why you want to run for Princess of the Fall Formal!” said Raven, snapping her fingers. “That’s the only way you can get your crown back!”

Twilight nodded. “Exactly. The portal closes at midnight on the night of the Formal, so we don’t have a lot of time. If we fail to get the crown and return to Equestria, our home, we’ll be stuck here in this world for the next thirty moons.”

Gem blinked. “Thirty moons? How long is that?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure if it has an equivalent in your calendar, but at a rough estimate, around two and a half years. Equestria may not survive without my Element, so it is imperative that the crown is returned to me.”

Gem nodded again, and smiled warmly. “We’ll do all we can to help, Princess Twilight. You have my word.”

“And her word is good, too,” Raven added. “I’ve never met a girl as selfless as her.”

“Do you have experience in political campaigns?” Twilight asked.

“As it turns out, yes!” Gem replied. “My father served as mayor of Trottingham for several terms, so I think some of what I saw on the campaign trail there will be applicable to this situation. And since we both know how much of a wretched bully Sunset Shimmer is, I have no doubt she’ll try to attack you.” At Twilight’s stricken expression, she quickly added: “But enough about that, the dance isn’t for another week! We have plenty of time to get to know each other!”

“I’ll say we do,” said Raven. “Ain’t every day you wind up makin’ first contact with an alien species, even if they do look just like us.”

“Good point,” Gem agreed, stroking her girlfriend’s hand. “What do you look like in your natural forms, girls?”

“I’m glad you asked!” said Twilight, taking a photograph from her backpack. It was one Rarity had taken shortly after her ascension, showing both mares relaxing in the main reading room of the library. Twilight had one wing draped around Emerald’s withers, and both mares sat with their legs folded beneath them.

“Oh my goodness, you two look adorable!” Gem gushed. “Raven, look!”

“Adorable is right,” Raven commented. “Very different from our horses and ponies. They don’t talk, their snouts are larger, and I’m pretty sure they can’t do magic.”

“Really?!” Twilight leaned forward, and if she still had her tail, Emerald knew it’d be swishing rapidly. “I mean, I learned a lot about humans at the library today, but I never knew your equines weren’t sapient! I thought perhaps, since ponies and humans look relatively similar to each other, your ponies would too!”

Raven shook her head. “I’m not sure why we look alike, but I’m pretty sure magic hasn’t got anything to do with it.”

“Unless it does!” Twilight exclaimed. “Perhaps your world’s proximity to ours influenced your evolutionary patterns! It would definitely explain why humans and ponies share similar skin and coat colors, or why our manes look the same.”

“Or why there’s apparently human versions of ponies we know back home,” added Emerald. “Like Vinyl and you two.”

“What’s pony Vinyl like?” Raven asked. “Is she a DJ?”

Emerald nodded, “DJ and radio host. I used to work for her in Canterlot, that is, my Canterlot, before I met Twilight. When I moved to Ponyville, your pony selves took me in for a bit. That’s why I was so surprised to see your house, Gem. I didn’t think there was a duplicate here!”

“I see!” Gem smiled. “I can only imagine what my pony counterpart is like. I hope she’s as friendly as I am.”

Emerald nodded vigorously, “Absolutely, only…” She paused. “He’s a stallion, and his name’s Orion.”

“Oh.” Gem looked slightly put out. “You know, that’s almost too bad… I was hoping he’d be like me…”

Twilight tilted her head. “Like you?”

“Trans,” Gem explained. “That means I was assigned male at birth, but I’m transitioning to female.”

“Oh!” Emerald smiled in recognition. “We have that in Equestria! I’m in the same boat that you are!”

“Really?” Gem looked amazed. “I’d never have guessed, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Emerald shook her head. “The potions I took were very thorough, I guess it carried over across the portal as well.”

“The portal’s magic really is quite fascinating,” Twilight said. “Maybe when this is all over, I can have the portal brought back to the library so I can study it in further detail!”

Emerald giggles. “That’s my Sparks, always and forever the world’s biggest magic nerd.” She gave the purple girl a nuzzle on the cheek, and Twilight nickered in response.

“So if there’s one of everyone where you come from,” said Raven, “Wonder if that means your counterparts are around here somewhere.”

Twilight shrugged. “That’s a good question. I honestly expected counterparts of my friends back home to be here too, but so far I haven’t seen them. I don’t suppose you know anyone named Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy?”

Gem shook her head. “I can’t say I do. If they are here, it’s possible they go to other schools.”

“Maybe,” Emerald said, thinking. “Anyway…” She yawned. “I didn’t realize how late it’d gotten… should we go to bed?”

Gem nodded, picking up the now-empty tray. “It does seem like a good time for it, I think. Take whichever room you like, ladies! Tomorrow, I’ll make us breakfast and we can explore Canterlot a bit! How does that sound?”

Twilight beamed. “That sounds amazing! How about it, Emmy?”

Emerald grinned. “I’m definitely game. G’night you two, and thanks again.”

“You’re welcome!” Gem chirped, waving as the two transformed ponies went upstairs to claim one of the guest rooms.

* * *

Emerald smiled as she pulled on the pajamas Gem had lent her, they were navy blue with white polka dots on them. “So, our first day on an alien world, as a different species… I’d say it went pretty well, given everything.”

Twilight nodded, wiggling her fingers. “Getting used to these has been hard, and I definitely miss my magic, but I think we can both survive for a week. Anything longer though…”

Emerald nodded. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” She climbed into bed and wrapped her arms around Twilight, kissing her on the nose. “Wanna know something?”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

Emerald smiled. “You’re cute as a pony _and_ as a human.”

Twilight blushed. “So are you. See you in the morning, Emmy.”

“G’night, Sparks,” Emerald replied, flicking off the lights.

* * *

The next two days were quite relaxing for the quartet. Saturday was warm and sunny, so they spent the day taking Twilight and Emerald out on a guided tour of Canterlot, exploring art galleries, history museums, libraries, restaurants, the mall, and even catching a movie. They also stopped by an electronics store to pick up cheap cell phones for Twilight and Emerald, partly so they had a way to keep in touch with one another, and partly to help improve their manual dexterity. On Sunday it rained, so they stayed inside, did homework, and then watched more movies in Gem’s basement home theater.

Unfortunately, Monday was much less fun. Almost as soon as Twilight entered the school, she was met with the sounds of snickering from most of the student body. She looked around, her expression confused and worried. “I don’t understand… why are they all laughing at me?”

Gem had gone very pale, her grey complexion now bone white. “I think I might have some idea,” she said, stepping into an empty classroom and pulling out her phone. She tapped the screen once, and a video began to play, showing a black and white montage of Twilight making a fool of herself at the library with threatening music in the background.

Accompanying the distressing visuals was an ominous narration from Sunset herself: _“Twilight Sparkle wants to be_ ** _your_** _Fall Formal Princess. But what does it say about_ ** _our_** _school if we give someone like_ ** _this_** _... such an important honor? She’s only a newcomer, what does she know about Canterlot Wondercolts?_ ” Then the image changed to footage of Sunset Shimmer cheering on the school sports teams, helping out students, and other positive images. _“That’s why you should vote for me, Sunset Shimmer. I pledge to keep the Fall Formal Crown in true Wondercolt hooves, where it belongs.”_

Emerald and Raven clenched their fists and snarled, speaking at exactly the same time: “THAT BITCH!”

“Language!” replied Gem and Twilight immediately afterwards.

Twilight then put her face in her hands, sniffling. “But this all happened Friday! At the library! Has everyone in the school seen this? Is that why they were all looking at me that way?!”

“It seems that way,” said Gem, putting a consoling hand on Twilight’s shoulder.

“What am I gonna do?” Twilight asked. “No one is gonna vote for me after seeing _this_!”

“Which is why we should counter it with something of our own,” said Gem, already beginning to pace back and forth. “But not with an attack ad! That would sink us down to Sunset’s level, and we need to prove to everyone that you are truly better than her! What we need is to make a statement! Sunset is obviously playing to the students’ collective sense of school spirit, but such gestures aren’t just limited to her!” She pointed at Raven. “Raven! What are the six principles of harmony?”

“Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Friendship,” Raven replied at once.

Gem nodded approvingly. “Exactly! And Emerald, you know her best! How does Twilight exemplify those qualities?”

Emerald counted off on her fingers. “She’ll always tell you what she thinks if there’s a problem to solve, she’s quick to lend a hoof… I mean, hand, to anyone who needs it, she always makes me laugh at her jokes, her generosity was shown by letting me stay with her when I was new to Ponyville, she’s loyal to everyone she meets, and it’s easy for her to make friends!”

Gem nodded some more. “I think she could be the girl to unite the school and break Sunset’s hold on everyone. But what’s the best way to do that?”

“Well…” Twilight blushed. “Ponies love singing, so maybe we could sing a song?”

Raven raised an eyebrow. “Sing a song? Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Studies by many thaumaturgists have shown that the performance of spontaneous musical numbers triggers a rush of endorphins to the parts of the pony brain that govern emotions and magical energy. I have no idea what it might do to humans, but maybe we’ll find out!”

Gem smiled. “I think that sounds like a perfect idea, Twilight. But a song isn’t enough, we need something more! Any other ideas?”

Raven raised her hand. “I can see if Coco still has that Wondercolt merch she was selling last year. Maybe we can wear those as a sign of unity?”

Gem nodded some more, and tugged on the hem of her sweater. “Make it so, Number One.”

Raven rolled her eyes, smiling. “Whatever you say, Captain Earl Grey.”

* * *

Over the next day or two, the four friends were able to procure the props they would need: blue headbands with yellow pony ears on them, blue and yellow tails made of synthetic fur, and blue sweatshirts with the Canterlot High logo on them. They also worked out a time to perform their song: lunchtime, since they knew it would be the only time when most of the school would be gathered in one place.

At Emerald’s request, Vinyl recorded an instrumental backing track for them all to sing along to, and two days before the formal, they put their plan into action. After tapping out a beat on a lunch tray and some random dishes and cutlery to signal Vinyl to get the backing track playing, Gem, Raven, Emerald, and Vinyl dashed around the cafeteria, improvising the lyrics of their [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrItr8A9q_A):

> _Hey, hey, everybody_
> 
> _We've got something to say_
> 
> _We may seem as different_
> 
> _As the night is from day_
> 
> _But you look a little deeper_
> 
> _And you will see_
> 
> _That I'm just like you_
> 
> _And you're just like me._
> 
> _Yeah!_
> 
> _Hey, hey, everybody_
> 
> _We're here to shout_
> 
> _That the magic of friendship_
> 
> _Is what it's all about_
> 
> _Yeah,_
> 
> _We thought we were different_
> 
> _As the night is from the day_
> 
> _Until Twilight Sparkle_
> 
> _Helped us see another way_
> 
> _So get up get down_
> 
> _If you're gonna come around_
> 
> _We can work together_
> 
> _Helping Twilight win the crown_
> 
> _So get up get down_
> 
> _'Cause it's gonna make a sound_
> 
> _If we work together_
> 
> _Helping Twilight Sparkle_
> 
> _Win the crown!_

Then, Raven took a solo verse:

> _Hey, hey hands up now,_
> 
> _We're sending a message_
> 
> _To the crowd_
> 
> _Hands wave up_
> 
> _Then come down_
> 
> _We party together_
> 
> _All around_

Before the rest of them joined back in:

> _Generous, honesty,_
> 
> _Laughter, kindness, loyalty_
> 
> _Twilight helped us each to see_
> 
> _All that we can be!_
> 
> _So get up get down_
> 
> _If you're gonna come around_
> 
> _We can work together_
> 
> _Helping Twilight win the crown_
> 
> _So get up get down_
> 
> _'Cause it's gonna make a sound_
> 
> _If we work together_
> 
> _Helping Twilight Sparkle_
> 
> _Win the crown!_

For the pièce de résistance however, Gem and Raven threw open the cafeteria doors in time to let Twilight take a verse of her own:

> _I'm gonna be myself_
> 
> _No matter what I do_
> 
> _And if we're different yeah_
> 
> _I want you to be true to you_
> 
> _If you follow me_
> 
> _We'll put our differences aside_
> 
> _We'll stick together and_
> 
> _Start working on that school pride!_

That seemed to do the trick. The next thing they knew, the rest of the cafeteria was singing in unison:

> _Jump up make a sound (Hey!)_
> 
> _Stomp your hooves turn around_
> 
> _Start now, make a change,_
> 
> _Gonna come around_
> 
> _Jump up make a sound (Hey!)_
> 
> _Stomp your hooves turn around_
> 
> _Canterlot Wondercolts_
> 
> _Help her win the crown!_

It was as the song came to an end that something surprising happened to Twilight, Emerald, Vinyl, Gem, and Raven. The five of them began to glow with a magical light, and they began to transform! Pony ears that matched their respective skin tones sprouted on the tops of their heads, followed shortly by tails in the same colors as their hair. Raven got wings, while Emerald, Vinyl, and Gem got horns. (Only Twilight got both.) Lastly came the fur, hooves, and muzzles. The changes were so swift that it was all over before the five of them could miss a beat, and their clothes changed as well, to better fit an equine body.

The cafeteria went very quiet as the students and faculty took in the sudden transformation. For a few moments, no one dared to even speak or breathe.

Then, Emerald broke the silence: “Well, buck.”

* * *

A few minutes later, the five of them galloped off into a nearby bathroom to check over their changed bodies. They were definitely Equestrian ponies now, save for the fact that they stood on two legs rather than four. Emerald and Twilight were happy to be their true selves again, but the three humans were less than thrilled.

“I just don’t understand it!” Twilight exclaimed, peering at her reflection. “I’ve never seen magic work like this before, it’s completely unheard of!”

“What, you’re some kinda magic genius where you come from?” Vinyl asked, staring incomprehensibly at her sunglasses, which still fit despite the changes.

Twilight nodded. “Actually, back home I’m one of the most powerful unicorns born in the last thousand years or so. But I’ve never seen cross-species transformations of this type before! It’s fascinating, and terrifying in equal measure!”

“Why terrifying?” asked Gem, swishing her new tail in an agitated way.

“Well, this world isn’t supposed to have any magic in it,” Twilight explained. “But when Sunset Shimmer brought my crown here, she brought magic here too!”

Raven blinked. “I don’t understand.”

“The guy who designed the portal put some safeguards on it,” Emerald said. “One of those was to block magic from any living creature who passed through by changing them into a non-magical species, like humans.”

“But because that safeguard didn’t take magical _objects_ into account, my Element of Harmony is still very powerful,” Twilight finished. “Emerald, do you remember what Luna said before we came here?”

“I think so,” Emerald replied, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “If we used magic, those affected might develop pony characteristics.”

“This isn’t permanent, is it?” Vinyl asked.

Twilight shook her head. “No. The changes should reverse themselves soon enough, but the fact that they happened at all means it’s imperative we get my crown back. If we fail, the delicate balance between our worlds could fall apart altogether!”

Gem smiled wryly. “Well, I can be certain of one thing. We put on an unforgettable performance!” Then she felt a tingling sensation, and the changes reversed themselves as quickly as they had originally happened. Soon, they were all entirely human again. “Thank goodness… do you think that will be the last time we’ll transform, Twilight?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure, Gemini. There’s no precedent for anything like this, it could very well be that our presence here, combined with that of my Element, has already changed your world forever. All we can do is wait and see.”

Raven nodded. “ We won’t have long to wait. The ballots for the formal are due at the end of the day tomorrow, but we won’t find out the winner until the night of the dance itself.”

“I hope everypony makes the right decision,” Gem said with a sigh. “I shudder to think what might happen if Sunset wins.”

Emerald blinked. “Uh, Gem? Can you say that again?”

Gem looked puzzled. “I hope everypony makes the right decision?”

Emerald nodded. “You just said everypony. And you’re human. Right?”

Gem glanced in the mirror, suddenly unsure about something deep within herself. “Of course I am… at least I _think_ so…” But before the others could comment, the bell rang, and they rushed off to class.

* * *

At the end of the day, Gem was walking down the hall toward her locker when she passed by Sunset Shimmer. Sunset was smirking, and her hands were on her hips. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t one of Sparkle’s monkey servants,” she said. “If you can still call yourself that after I saw what happened at lunch.”

Gem glared at her. “I am not a monkey, I’m a human! And I’m not Twilight’s servant, I’m her friend!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. She’s just using you to get what she wants! She might be playing the whole nice princess role now, but trust me, if she wins the princess election, you’re gonna see what she’s _really_ like. That transformation you went through was just the start of it.”

Gem scoffed. “As if I am going to believe a single word that comes out of _your_ mouth, Sunset Shimmer.”

“You should,” said Sunset, starting to walk in a circle around Gem like a jungle cat sizing up her prey. “I’ll grant her this much: Twilight Sparkle is even more powerful than I was before I got here. But she’s also a scientist, and this world of yours? It’s just _begging_ to be experimented on. If she gets the crown back, she’s going to turn this place into her personal laboratory, with you and all your friends as her guinea pigs.”

Gem narrowed her eyes. “Prove it.”

“With pleasure!” Sunset took out her phone and opened what looked like the stock voice recording app. “I overheard her making plans in the library today during study hall. Listen!”

Sunset hit play, and Twilight’s voice issued from the tiny phone speakers: _“That transformation is just what we needed, Emmy! As soon as I get my crown back, this world will be mine to take over! These humans will have no way of defending themselves against my magic! Soon, they will bow before me!”_

Gem’s jaw dropped. “Impossible…”

“You’re already starting to come around though, I can tell.” Sunset chuckled. “I’ll send you the file so you can share it with the others.” She tapped her screen a few more times, and the file was sent over the school’s intranet. “See ya ‘round, Shadow.” And with that, she left, leaving a shaken Gem behind.

* * *

A short time later, Gem stormed through the front doors of her home, looking angry and hurt. Raven, who’d been sitting on the couch, looked up. “Uh, Gem? Are you okay?”

“No, I am not,” Gem answered, quickly telling Raven what Sunset had told her, and playing the offending audio clip.

Raven frowned deeply, her brow furrowing. “Okay, I’ll admit: this sounds like a pretty serious betrayal of our trust. But before you go rushing off, let’s think about this.”

“Raven, what’s there to think about?” Gem asked. “This is awful! All this time, Twilight has been stringing us along pretending to be our friend, just so she can hurt us later! I bet she even knew we would change, and manipulated the situation to ensure we did!”

“But this is _Sunset Shimmer_ who told you this!” Raven exclaimed. “You know, the mare who’s been bullying both of us since we got here?” She put her hands on her hips. “Let’s ask Twilight about it before we do anything else, and find out who’s right. I trust her a lot more than I do Sunset.”

Gem sighed, her anger cooling. “Oh, very well, Raven… but she’s on thin ice.”

Just then, the front door opened again and Twilight came in with Emerald, holding a device that looked a bit like a digital recorder. “Hey girls, I’m back! What’s… going… on…” Her face fell as she saw Gem’s expression. “Gem? Are you okay?”

Gem shook her head. “Twilight, I need you to tell me if you remember saying this, or something similar, during study hall today.” She pressed play on the clip again.

Twilight looked utterly horrified, “Gem, I swear to you I never said anything of the kind! I spent all of study hall trying to figure out why your speech patterns have changed!”

“But that’s your voice on the recording!” Gem shot back. “You must have said it!”

“Gem, I was right next to Twilight all that time,” Emerald interrupted. “And let me tell ya, she was quiet as can be. I don’t know what human technology is capable of, but even though it sounds like Twilight, there’s no possible way it was _really_ her.”

“How?” Raven asked.

Emerald shrugged. “It’s just this feeling. The voice is right, but the intonation and inflection was off. Pony magic can do a lot of things, but it can’t manufacture things ponies never said out of whole cloth.”

Twilight nodded. “I would never _ever_ take over your world, Gemini. Until a week ago, I was just an ordinary unicorn, I haven’t had time to get used to being a princess of Equestria, never mind an alternate dimension.” She pulled Gem into a hug, and nuzzled her cheek. “Your friendship is far too important to me to risk it over something like this. Do you believe me?”

Gem was quiet for a long moment. Then, very slowly, she returned Twilight’s hug.

* * *

With the disagreement cleared up, the four friends sat in Gem’s living room, relaxing once more. Raven peered curiously at the device Twilight had placed on the coffee table. “Okay, so now that we have that squared away, what’s with the doohickey?” She asked, gesturing to it.

Twilight smiled. “This was something I had Vinyl Scratch help with making, it’s a type of analyzer. Back home, it’s mainly used to measure the magical spectrum, but if I have it programmed right, it should be able to tell us if you really are still human.” She pressed a button and had Gem hold the device for several seconds.

Then on the device’s LCD screen came the results: _DNA Scan Result: 93% Human._

Raven’s jaw dropped. “What the _buck_. You sure that’s working right?”

Twilight nodded. “Positive. The results Emerald and I were just like that. Remember, as far as this world is concerned, we’re humans too.”

Raven nodded. “I got that part. I just don’t understand why we’re changing at all.”

“It’s because of how Equestrian magic works,” Twilight said. “Only ponies can wield it. Back home, this was never a problem, but being in an alien environment has forced it to adapt somewhat. You’re changing because the magic inside of you is requiring you to.”

“Can anything be done about it?” Gem asked. “Can it be stopped or reversed?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight replied. “If the mirror we used to get here was in my library, I’d rush home to my lab and get all my magical analysis tools. But Ponyville is miles and miles away from the Crystal Empire, and with the formal so close, we just don’t have time. All I can say is to keep magical exposure to a minimum, at least until Emerald and I return to Equestria. Once we do, the magic should go with us, and what changes you’ve seen so far will dissipate.”

“I can only hope you’re right, Twilight,” said Gem, heaving a sigh.

* * *

At long last, the night they all had been waiting for had arrived. At Canterlot High, fancy cars pulled up to the front entrance and students wearing their finest outfits (or as fine as they could afford) entered the school for a night of dancing, fun, and general merriment. Gem looked positively resplendent in a blue dress that sparkled like sapphires. Raven’s outfit looked like a Victorian ball gown crossed with punk rock aesthetics rendered in purple and black, Twilight’s [dress](http://bit.ly/38tXWrf) was a paler blue and speckled with stars and moons, while Emerald’s was as green as her name, with jewels to match.

Inside the gym, the party was in full swing. Most of the floor was filled with students dancing, but a few clusters of people had gathered by the refreshment table and were talking, shouting to be heard over the pulsing beat of Vinyl Scratch’s music. Twilight, Emerald, Gem, and Raven danced and partied, allowing themselves a few hours of fun before the reveal of the election winner.

Finally, at 11:00, the party began to wind down. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna came out from backstage, and Vinyl brought the current track to a close, and clicked on the spotlights as the two administrators stepped up to the microphone.

“First off, I wanna say how wonderful everything looks tonight,” Principal Celestia began. “I hope you’ve all enjoyed yourselves this evening, but before we let you go home, I'd like to announce the winner of this year's Fall Formal crown. The Princess of this year's Fall Formal is…”

There was a pause as everyone leaned forward.

“Twilight Sparkle!” announced Celestia, as Luna opened the box containing the crown. Wild applause met the announcement as Twilight, blushing brightly, stepped on stage to receive her crown.

But while everyone was distracted, Snips and Snails (both of whom were in normal clothes aside from the top hats and, in Snips’ case, a t-shirt with the front of a tuxedo printed on it) snuck inside and grabbed Emerald from behind. Snails, being the tallest, covered her mouth with his hand, while Snips held on to her arms.

Emerald struggled, and as they reached the gym doors, managed to break free of Snips’ hand long enough to call out, “TWILIGHT! HELP ME!”

“EMERALD!” Twilight screamed, running offstage and through the crowd toward doors at a breakneck pace. Gem, Raven, and Vinyl were not far behind, but Snips and Snails had the advantage. They zipped through the halls, darting through a side entrance that led to the athletic fields. They turned left and ran for the Wondercolt statue, where Sunset was waiting. Twilight and her friends reached the statue a few seconds later.

Twilight glared at Sunset, her hands on her hips. “Let her go, Sunset Shimmer! She’s done nothing to you! If you hurt her…”

Sunset chuckled mirthlessly. “Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. I'm not a monster, Twilight. Even I know better than to get between a princess and her consort.” She snapped her fingers, and Snips and Snails let Emerald go.

With Emerald safe, Sunset turned back to Twilight. “All right, Sparkle, enough games. Give me the crown, and you can go back to Equestria tonight. Or keep it and _never_ go home.” She brought out a sledgehammer and made as though she were about to send it into the side of the plinth where the portal was.

“No way,” said Raven, watching this. “Wouldn’t that sledgehammer just sail through the portal thing and hit somepony on the other side?”

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but Sunset beat her to it, albeit with a raised eyebrow at the equine pronoun. “Only a _living_ creature can step through this portal, bird brain. A non-magical object like this sledgehammer would affect the statue like there was never a portal there to begin with.” She looked back at Twilight. “Tick-tock, Twilight. We haven't got all night. The portal will be closing on its own in less than an hour. So, what's your answer?”

There was a pause. Then, Twilight spoke, and there was a huge note of finality in her voice: “ _No._ ”

Sunset’s jaw dropped, she hadn’t been expecting that. “What!? Equestria! Your friends! Lost to you forever! Don't you see what I'm about to do to the portal?!”

Twilight nodded. "Yes, but I've also seen what you've been able to do here _without_ magic. Equestria will find a way to survive without my Element of Harmony. This place might not, if I allow it to fall into _your_ hands. So go ahead. Destroy the portal. You are _not_ getting this crown!”

“Fine,” said Sunset, dropping the sledgehammer. “You win.”

“I can't believe you were gonna do that for us!” Vinyl exclaimed, smiling at Twilight.

Gem smiled too. “It's no wonder you're a real live princess!”

That made Sunset’s rage boil over. “Oh, yes, she's so _very_ special!” she snarled, diving for the crown. Thus began a high-stakes game of keep-away as Twilight and the others all tried to keep the crown out of Sunset’s hands.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. After a brief scuffle, Sunset snatched up the crown, simply saying: “At last! More power than I could ever imagine!” Then, she jammed it on to her head.

The effect was immediate. Cyan light mixed with black began to pour from the star in the middle of the crown. Sunset, realizing something was horribly wrong, tried to take the crown off but it stayed stuck to her as if it had been glued on. She let loose a bloodcurdling scream as a magical pillar obscured her from view.

When the light show faded, Sunset had transformed into an eight foot tall [demon](http://bit.ly/330gq1r)with dark red skin, blue-green eyes with black sclera, tattered red wings, and a red and yellow dress that matched the streaks in her hair. Her hands were more like claws now, and her ears were long and pointed. As she looked herself over, she laughed evilly, clearly pleased with the results. With a burst of magic, her two goons were changed into demons too, though smaller.

“I've had to jump through so many hoops tonight just to get my hands on this crown, and it really should have been mine all along!” Sunset said, turning in mid-air to face the crowd of high school students hiding behind the front doors, all of whom had come to see what all the fuss was about. “But let's let bygones be bygones. _I_ am your princess now, and you will be loyal... to _me_!”

Sunset brought her claw into a fist and pulled, and the entire front entrance crumbled and was tossed away to one side. The students screamed and tried to flee in terror, but Sunset used her magic to brainwash them, causing them to groan like zombies as their eyes glowed blue-green.

“Round them up and bring them to the portal,” Sunset ordered, pointing Snips and Snails toward the army of brainwashed humans. They saluted and went to work, herding the teenagers in front of the plinth.

Sunset grinned evilly as she turned back to face Twilight and her friends. “Spoiler alert: I was bluffing when I said I was going to destroy the portal. I don't want to rule this pathetic little high school; I want Equestria! And with my own little teenage army behind me, I’m going to get it!”

“No! You’re not!” Twilight shouted, defiant to the last.

Sunset scoffed. “Oh, please! What exactly do you think you're going to do to stop me? I have magic, and you have _nothing_!”

“She has _us!_ ” said Raven, as Gem, Emerald, and Vinyl all nodded in agreement.

“Step aside, weaklings!” Sunset thundered, her expression murderous. “Twilight has tried to interfere with my plans one too many times already! She needs to be dealt with!” She formed a fireball and threw it at the five girls below, all of whom hugged one another as they waited for a fiery death.

But nothing like that happened. Instead, a magenta glow surrounded the five of them, the color of Twilight’s magic aura. Twilight opened her eyes, saw the shield, and grinned. “The magic contained in my Element was able to unite with those it decided could best wield the others!” she said, as she and the other four rose into the air and began to transform into ponies once again. “Honesty! Kindness! Laughter! Generosity! Loyalty! Magic!”

“Together with a crown, they create a power beyond anything you could imagine, but it is a power you don't have the ability to control!” Twilight’s eyes were glowing white, sheand the others were now fully shifted. “The crown may be upon your head, Sunset Shimmer, but you cannot wield it, because you do not possess the most powerful magic of all: the magic of friendship! Here _and_ in Equestria, it is the only magic that can truly unite us all!”

A brilliant rainbow formed and arced toward Sunset, ensnaring her in a tornado of light as it purified her of corrupted magic. Snips, Snails, and the other students were purified as well, and when it was all over, all that was left was a huge crater, with Sunset at the very bottom, restored to her human form.

Twilight’s hooves crunched as she walked slowly toward the crater’s edge, flanked by Emerald, Gem, Raven, and Vinyl.

“You will _never_ rule in Equestria,” Twilight said to Sunset, her voice cold. “Any power you may have had in this world is gone. Tonight, you've shown everyone who you really are. You've shown them what is in your heart.”

Sniffling and sobbing met her ears as Sunset looked up, tears streaming down her face. “I-I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was another way…”

“The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria,” Twilight continued, in a softer voice. “It's everywhere.” She looked toward her friends. “You can seek it out, or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours.”

“But all I've ever done since being here is drive everyone apart,” Sunset protested. “I don't know the first thing about friendship!” By now she’d managed to climb up to the crater’s lip.

Twilight took Sunset’s hand in hers and smiled, helping her to stand. Gesturing to Gem, Raven, and Vinyl, she said, “I bet _they_ can teach you.”

Then there came the sound of footsteps as Principal Celestia approached, holding the fallen crown in her hands. “I believe this belongs to you,” she said warmly, a smile on her face. As Twilight kneeled, she placed the crown on the alicorn’s head. “A true princess in any world leads not by forcing others to bow before her, but by inspiring others to stand with her. We have all seen that you are capable of just that.” She gave Twilight a hug. “I hope you see it too, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight nodded, smiling. “I do. Thank you.”

Everyone applauded, and the students all began to head back toward their homes, with six exceptions: Sunset Shimmer, who was made to help repair the damage done to the front entrance the next morning, and Twilight and her friends.

Raven checked her phone. “Uh-oh, it’s already a quarter to twelve… you’ll have to get going, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded, looking to the distant form of Sunset trudging back to the school. “You'll look out for her, won't you?”

“Of course we will,” Vinyl reassured her, smiling. “Though I hope she’ll be apologizing for all the disasters she caused. Like last semester, when she stole my car and crashed it into a ditch.”

Twilight chuckled. “I have a feeling she'll be handing out a _lot_ of apologies.” Then, with a wistful sigh, she glanced up toward the moon. “I know we've only been friends for a short time, but I'm gonna miss all of you so much!”

“We’ll miss you, _Princess_ Twilight,” said Gem, hugging Twilight tight. “Do come back and visit, won’t you?”

“I’m sure I can think of some way to circumvent the 30-moon limitation,” Twilight replied, returning the hug.

As the clock hit 11:50, Emerald cleared her throat. “Uh, Sparks? It’s go time.”

Twilight sighed and hugged her human friends one last time. “Thank you all so much, for everything… it’s been so great meeting you!”

“And an honor and a privilege for all of us,” said Gem, smiling. “Goodbye, Twilight. And good luck.”

Twilight waved, then took Emerald’s hand as they stepped through the portal and back into their own world.

* * *

As soon as the last of Twilight’s tail hairs passed out of sight, the three remaining friends were changed back into humans, the magic gone from them as suddenly as it had appeared. (As far as they knew, at least.)

“Do you think we’ll ever see them again?” Raven asked, beginning the walk to the student parking lot.

Gem shrugged. “I honestly cannot imagine… but I do hope so.” Halfway to Raven’s car, she stopped dead in the street and ran back to the entrance. “Sunset Shimmer? Hello?”

“Over here, Gemini,” Sunset said, her voice hoarse. “What do you want? Here to gloat?”

“Hardly,” Gem answered. “I believe being hit in the face with a magic rainbow is punishment enough. No, I only came to ask if you’d like to sleep over at my house tonight… everyone needs a place to sleep, even repentant bullies.”

Sunset thought about it for a long moment… but eventually, she shook her head. “I’ve got a place… but… uh, thanks. I guess.”

Gem smiled. “You’re welcome, Sunset. And goodnight to you.” Then she left, quickly rejoining Raven and Vinyl.

* * *

“Twilight! You’re back!” Princess Cadance cried, throwing her front legs around her sister-in-law and nuzzling her. “You've got your crown!”

Twilight nodded, smiling as she settled herself down onto all four hooves, glad to be back in her own body once again. “It took a lot of work, but Emerald and I were able to get it back just in time! Sorry we were gone so long.”

“Sunset Shimmer, is she alright?” Celestia asked, looking very worried.

Twilight nodded. “I think she's gonna be fine. I left her in good _hands_.” Then she began to trot back down the hall toward her room, unable to stop herself from yawning. “I wanna tell you all everything, I do, but I'm just so exhausted from all the dancing!”

“Dancing?!” asked the other three princesses in unison.

Emerald smirked, and gave the three royals a big wink as she stepped into the room behind Twilight. “We’ll explain… later,” she said.

Then, closing the door with her tail, the alicorn princess and her unicorn consort climbed into bed.

* * *

As Emerald wrapped her front legs protectively around Twilight’s barrel, she said, “So… how ya feeling about the whole princess thing, Sparks?”

Twilight chuckled as she floated the crown onto her nightstand. “Honestly? I think I’m okay with it.”

Emerald smiled and kissed Twilight’s cheek, then yawned. “Good to hear… g’night, Sparks.”

“Goodnight, Emmy,” whispered Twilight. She turned out the light with her magic, and the two ponies soon fell asleep.


	3. Just Like Starting Over

It was not easy to be Sunset Shimmer. Born to one of Canterlot’s few non-noble families, she had been orphaned at the age of 5, and taken in by Princess Celestia when she noticed the young filly’s magical talent. Driven by ambition and a thirst to prove herself, Sunset did her best to please her teacher, and for many years she learned all she could from the ageless alicorn.

But it wasn’t to last. When Sunset was 18, she had reached the last year of schooling with the princess, and learned about a magic mirror that had been built by Starswirl the Bearded, the legendary unicorn who became the first Archmage of Canterlot. In the mirror, Sunset saw a reflection of herself as an alicorn, and tried to get Celestia to make her a princess. But the attempt failed, as Celestia repeatedly insisted that she wasn’t ready.

Angered, Sunset fled from Equestria via the mirror and found herself in a strange new world, one where there were no ponies; only creatures called humans who slightly resembled them. Changed into a human and stripped of her magic, Sunset did her best to ingratiate herself with the local population, and soon she was the undisputed Queen Bee of Canterlot High. All the while she hatched a plan to return to Equestria, steal a magical artifact, and exact revenge on Celestia for denying her the right to rule.

But then came the Fall Formal. While the artifact-stealing part of the plan had gone smoothly, Sunset hadn’t banked on Celestia’s new student, Twilight Sparkle, coming after her to try and get her crown back. Nor had she banked on Twilight Sparkle making friends with some humans, and with those friends, wielding the magic of friendship against her and putting her into the position she was in now: lying in a crater, alone, wearing a torn leather jacket and skirt with various cuts and bruises on her body.

“You will _never_ rule in Equestria,” said the cold voice of Twilight Sparkle from somewhere above her head. “Any power you may have had in this world is gone. Tonight, you've shown everyone who you really are. You've shown them what is in your heart.”

Sunset managed to look up, hot tears streaking down her cheeks. “I-I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was another way…” she managed to say through her crying.

“The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria,” Twilight continued, in a softer voice. “It's everywhere! You can seek it out, or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours.”

“But all I've ever done since being here is drive everyone apart,” Sunset protested. “I don't know the first thing about friendship!” By now she’d managed to climb up to the crater’s lip.

Twilight took Sunset’s hand in hers and smiled, helping her to stand. Gesturing to Gem, Raven, and Vinyl, she said, “I bet _they_ can teach you.”

Before Sunset could say anything in reply, a pale blue hand steered her away from the group and toward the ruined front entrance to the school. “Sunset Shimmer, as punishment for your actions this evening and in the past week, you will assist in the clean-up of the dance tomorrow morning,” said Vice Principal Luna, her voice as chilly as the vacuum of space. “In addition, you will be in out-of-school suspension lasting two weeks time. Your homework will be delivered to your residence each day, and I expect you to complete it. Is that understood?”

Sunset lowered her head, cowed. “Yes, Vice Principal Luna.”

Luna nodded. “Excellent. I suggest you leave at once, you have an early start tomorrow. Be here by six o’clock exactly, I will be watching.” She went inside, and Sunset was left alone on the empty lawn.

With nothing else to do, Sunset took a moment to gather herself, then she began to walk back to her apartment, her hands in her pockets. As she left, she heard a girl with a Trottingham accent call her name.

“Sunset Shimmer! Wait, please!” called Gemini, racing to catch up with Sunset.

“What do you want?” Sunset asked, turning to face the grey-skinned girl. “Here to gloat?”

“Hardly,” Gem answered. “I believe being hit in the face with a magic rainbow is punishment enough. No, I only came to ask if you’d like to sleep over at my house tonight… everyone needs a place to sleep, even repentant bullies.”

Sunset thought about it for a long moment, but eventually she shook her head. “I’ve got a place… but… uh, thanks. I guess.”

Gem smiled. “You’re welcome, Sunset. And goodnight to you.” She left, and Sunset continued on her way. It was good to know, after everything she’d done, that _someone_ in the world still cared about her.

* * *

“Well, that was certainly a fall formal I don’t think we’ll be forgetting anytime soon,” Raven Sable said as she, Vinyl, and Gem began the drive back to their respective homes. Vinyl was first, since she lived closest.

“You can say that again,” Vinyl agreed. “Wait until I tell Tavi, she won’t believe her ears when I tell her about the demon!”

“Actually, she just might,” Gem said, looking at the screen of her phone. “There’s over a dozen videos of Sunset’s transformation on MyStable alone, _and_ SnapGab!” She paused. “And several of ours too, though most of them are from that little song-and-dance in the cafeteria.”

“Guess a full on change of species isn’t as cool the second time around,” Raven said, shrugging. “Or people just think raging she-demons are cooler than magic two-legged ponies.”

“Regardless, I must admit I’m worried about her,” Gem said, putting her phone away. “I know very well how it feels to be ostracized, and I doubt our fellow Wondercolts will be feeling terribly accommodating toward her when she comes back to school.”

“No doubt about that,” Vinyl agreed. “To be honest, if it wasn’t for Twilight I’d be right there with them. You’re lucky you avoided the worst of her wrath, Gem.” As they pulled into her driveway, the DJ yawned and climbed out of the car. “Thanks for the ride, girls. I’ll see ya later.” Then she turned and went inside the house, closing the door behind her.

“Do you really think Sunset can become good?” Raven asked, as she plugged Gem’s address into her car’s GPS.

“I’d like to think so,” said Gem, staring thoughtfully into the night. “She seemed genuinely apologetic tonight… tears like that can’t be faked.”

“What are we going to do?” Raven wondered. “Just go over to her place and see what’s what?”

Gem shook her head. “No, this kind of thing calls for tact. And as Vinyl pointed out, I’m the only student at CHS who avoided becoming a target. _I_ will go over tomorrow and just talk, woman to woman.”

“Good luck,” said Raven, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek as they waited at a stoplight. “I’m rooting for you.”

Gem smiled. “I know. And thank you.” Then the light turned green, and they drove off into the dark.

* * *

Sunset woke up early the following morning, as she’d been ordered to. It felt wrong considering it was a Saturday, but on the other hoof, she’d be spending the next two weeks in isolation at home because of the deeds she’d done the night before. At least then she wouldn’t have to set her alarm.

Sighing, Sunset swung her legs out of bed and quickly took a shower, then dressed, but not in her usual ensemble, since those clothes were ruined. Instead she put on a dark grey hoodie with a plain white shirt beneath it, and jeans. She grabbed a cereal bar from a cardboard box on the counter of her kitchenette and left. shivering slightly in the chilly air. The sky was dark with clouds, and she hoped it wouldn’t rain.

As she approached the school, she found the entire front lawn was blocked off with traffic cones and fencing, even including the Wondercolt statue that held the deactivated portal. Inside the fence was a crew of construction workers, all of whom were working on repairing the entrance and filling in the crater left behind by the night’s events.

Sunset walked past the fence and went to a different entrance on the building’s left side, through which she, Snips, and Snails had gone through the night before after kidnapping Emerald. The school lights were on, and as she approached the gym, she was met by Vice Principal Luna, who held a paper cup of black coffee in her hand.

“Good morning, Ms. Shimmer,” said Luna, taking a sip of her coffee. “Are you ready to work?”

Sunset nodded. “What do you want me to do, Ms. Luna?”

Luna finished her coffee, made a face, and tossed the cup into the trash. “Your task today will be assisting the janitorial staff in cleaning the gymnasium,” she said. “Easier work than I feel you deserve, but Tia pointed out having a teenage girl with no experience working in a construction site is a bad idea, so here we are.” She unlocked the gym doors and pulled them open. “After completing this task, you’ll be free to leave. If you excuse me, I have some paperwork to do.”

“Paperwork?” Sunset asked, before she could stop herself. “What kind of paperwork?”

Luna frowned again and met Sunset’s gaze. “Smoothing over last night’s debacle in such a way that the school board and Superintendent Neighsay don’t have us shut down,” she replied. “Good luck.” She walked down the hall, and Sunset was left to go into the gym and begin work.

Inside the gym, she was met by a kindly grey-skinned man with brown hair and a stetson on his head. He introduced himself as Longhaul, the school’s lead bus driver, handyman, and unofficial guidance counselor. He talked with Sunset as they and the other custodians worked on cleaning up the gym, making it clear he would not judge or place blame.

Cleaning the gym took a while to complete, since there was a lot of sweeping to be done, as well as taking trash out to the dumpsters behind the school. It did, in fact, rain, so on top of everything else, Sunset was wet as well as miserable.

* * *

By noon, the gym was cleaned up and ready for use in PE classes once again. Sunset said goodbye to Longhaul and trudged back to the side entrance she’d used earlier, still unhappy despite her conversation.

But as she opened the door, she found the rain had become a light sprinkle, and a silver Aston Martin stood parked on the curb. The car’s owner rolled down the window, and Sunset found Gemini Shadow behind the wheel, a warm smile on her face. “Hello, Sunset!” she called out. “Hop in, I thought I’d treat you to lunch!”

Sunset’s jaw dropped. “Lunch?! But I almost killed you last night! Who treats former raging she-demons to lunch?!”

“I do,” said Gem, as if that explained everything. She pulled open the passenger door and patted the seat. “Are you getting in or not?”

Shrugging, Sunset climbed inside and buckled up, closing the door as she went. “Thanks, I suppose… I’ve never had anyone treat me like this since… since…” She trailed off.

“Since?” Gem said softly.

“Since I left Equestria,” Sunset eventually replied. “You know I’m a pony, right? Not human, even though i look it?”

Gem nodded. “Twilight told me. And to be honest, I probably would’ve figured it out eventually anyway, the only kind of magic we humans can do is sleight-of-hand, like what Raven does.” She put the car in drive and did a U-turn, headed back toward the main road. “How are you feeling, Sunset?”

Sunset sighed heavily, watching raindrops run down the window next to her. “Not so great. I had a lot of nightmares last night, unsurprisingly. Then I got up and had to go and do all this, _and_ I have a two-week out of school suspension starting Monday.”

“Sounds like quite a rough deal,” Gem observed, driving slowly on the slick streets. “But things will get better, I can promise you that.”

“You think so?” asked Sunset, glancing at Gem. “Right now I wish Twilight had taken me back to Equestria in chains to face trial and then banishment. I don’t deserve to live, Gemini.” She put her hand on the door handle, as if she were about to pull it open and run out into the road.

Before she could, Gem parked in front of a diner just a few blocks away from CHS and held Sunset’s hand in hers. “You deserve to live, Sunset Shimmer,” she whispered, her words soft but firm. “I’ll prove it to you.” And so saying, she climbed out of the car and headed into the diner, Sunset at her heels.

The [diner](https://bit.ly/3djXQ9e) was inspired by 1950s decor and served breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with plentiful vegetarian options. After being seated in a booth by one of the employees (a perky girl with pink skin and hair), the two girls consulted their menus. After some discussion, Gem ordered a Frisco melt with fries and a chocolate shake, while Sunset went for a portobello and Swiss vegetarian burger with a peanut butter cup milkshake.

“I have to admit, the food here is pretty good,” Sunset said between bites of burger. “And it’s a local place, right?”

Gem nodded. “Local food always tastes the best, I find. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” She smiled. “If you’d left in chains, you wouldn’t be eating like this.”

“True,” Sunset agreed. “And this is better than any of the slop they feed prisoners back home.” She leaned back, looking out the window at the city beyond. “Do you really think I can become a good person? I’ve spent my whole life going it alone, I don’t know anything about friendship.”

“I’m certain of it,” Gem answered. “Consider this moment. A couple of days ago, you would never have accepted my invitation in the first place, let alone allowed me to drive you to a restaurant and buy you lunch. But you did today, because you truly want to turn over a new leaf, don’t you?”

Sunset nodded. “I had a lot of time to think about what I did… what type of person I want to be. When I first came to this world, I was angry. My teacher refused to give me something I thought I deserved, and I wanted revenge. That was why I stole the crown, with its power I’d be able to march on Equestria and take what was mine. But in the instant between me putting the crown on and turning into that monster…” She paused. “I was scared. I knew I had done wrong. I could feel the dark magic coursing through me and changing me. I tried to take the crown off, but couldn’t. And… well… you know what happened next.”

“What happened when the rainbow hit you?” asked Gem quietly.

Sunset closed her eyes as she tried to remember. “It was like time froze... for me it felt like hours, maybe days. I saw my whole life flash before my eyes, from my earliest memories to just before I put the crown on my head. I saw everything. Every decision I made, every friendship I ruined, every person I hurt whether they were human or pony... I saw myself searching for the secret of the mirror and Celestia’s dismissal... coming here, bending the school to my will. And when it was over, I heard a voice ask me: ‘Do you want to try again?’”

“And then?”

“I said yes,” Sunset finished. “I couldn’t say anything else. You know how in movies, you’ll be watching a character move toward the door where the antagonist is hiding and you’ll yell out “Don’t go in there!” and they won’t listen? They just keep walking? That was what it was like. I watched my life like it was a movie, begged myself not to do the things I did, and said I wanted to try again and start anew.” She looked into Gem’s eyes. “So, this is me starting over... how am I doing so far?”

Gem smiled gently and took Sunset’s hand in hers. “Brilliantly.”

Sunset smiled, ever so slightly. “At least someone thinks so... how about Raven and Vinyl and the rest of the kids at school? Think they’ll agree?”

Gem chewed thoughtfully on a french fry. “Raven and Vinyl will, once I tell them about today. They’ll still have to see you for themselves, but once they do I’m sure they’ll be on your side. The rest of the school...” She frowned. “Harder to say.”

“I guess I have two weeks to prepare myself,” Sunset said with a sigh. “And get my homework done.” She looked back at Gem. “Thanks for today by the way, Gem. Really. I think you’re the nicest girl I’ve ever met.”

Gem blushed. “I just do what I can to help people in need. You’re an interesting person, Sunset Shimmer. I’d like to be your friend, if you’re open to it.”

Sunset nodded. “Definitely.” She sipped the last of her shake. “Is it okay if we spend a bit more time together? I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

Gem smiled, “Of course it is. Do you want to visit Raven and Vinyl, or continue what we’ve been doing?”

“Let’s keep this between us,” Sunset replied. “I’m not sure I’m ready to face the other two yet. Filly steps, you know?”

Gem chuckled. “Indeed... filly steps.” And, having paid for the meal, Sunset and Gem soon left the diner altogether, and drove to Sunset’s apartment. The clouds had parted during their lunch, and now the sun shone down upon the two girls. Today was the first day of Sunset’s new life, and she was determined to make the best of it.


	4. The Music in Our Hearts: Part 1

**_Greece, c. 1260-1180 BC_ **

The night sky was filled with stars, and the air was warm. Of course, this was Greece during the late Bronze age, the air was _always_ warm. The air was still, no wind blew. At least, that was until a great glowing white portal opened up somewhere in the starfield. Out fell three young women, approximately 19 or 20 years old. All three were clad in colored togas that matched their skin tones: bright yellow, pale blue, and light magenta respectively, with bright red gems at their throats. They landed roughly on a beach, the sand cushioning their fall.

One of these women, the blue one, sat up and looked around, perplexed. _“What the… where_ ** _are_** _we?”_ she asked in the tongue of her species, a language that was utterly unlike any other on Earth. The flat face she now possessed instead of a familiar draconic muzzle meant the words didn’t quite sound right.

_“And what are we?”_ echoed one of the others, the magenta one. She frowned distastefully at the sight of her fleshy ape-like body. _“Some kind of hairless monkey?”_

_“I don’t know,”_ replied their leader, the yellow-skinned woman with an enormous mane of orange and yellow curls. _“All I do know is that we can’t return to Equestria_. _That stupid old goat Starswirl and his pegasus friend of his tricked us_.” She looked up at the sky. Sure enough, there was no sign of the portal they’d come through.

_“Well, that’s just great,”_ snarked the magenta one. _“Banished to some other world and stuffed into freaky monkey bodies. Look at me, I can’t swim like this!”_ She gestured to her current form, infuriated.

_“Maybe we don’t need to_ ,” the yellow one said, surveying her own body. _“This form has plentiful curves… and these gems match the ones on our chests back home. We can at least survive, provided we find any local inhabitants.”_

_“Are you sure about this, Adagio?”_ the blue one asked. _“It doesn’t seem like this world has any magic in the first place!”_

_“Try singing then, if you doubt me,”_ Adagio replied, scowling at her youngest sister.

Sonata nodded and began to sing, the way she’d had since she’d first hatched some two hundred years earlier: a wordless vocalization that was guaranteed to ensnare ponies of all types and genders in its web. The necklace at her throat began to glow, making every note absolutely perfect.

Adagio smiled like a shark. If she still had her old body, that would’ve sent any spies screaming in the other direction, had there been any. _“You see_?” she said. _“This plan may not be to our liking, but it’s the only one we’ve got… unless the two of you would prefer to starve.”_ Her sisters shook their heads rapidly in reply, and Adagio got up, quickly getting to grips with how this form moved. 

_“Let’s get started_ ,” she said, pointing the way to the distant city-state of Athens. _“Whatever the native species is, let’s hope they are as pliable as ponies_.” And so, the three sirens quickly made their way toward the city, and the destinies that awaited them.

* * *

Centuries passed. The Dazzlings traveled from city to city, country to country, ensnaring all with their song so they could feed on the resulting discord and strife. They sang to Odysseus, and to Julius Caesar. They sang to Alexander the Great, and Marco Polo. Their immortality meant they never aged, allowing them to sing to almost every ruler of every major country on Earth, from Egyptian pharaohs to Chinese emperors and empresses, to kings and queens and presidents. 

It was not an easy life. When the Black Death swept across Europe, it was all they could do to avoid becoming ill themselves. During the witch trials in Salzburg, they were almost tried for witchcraft, only escaping by singing for their guard and fleeing into the night. King George III of England almost had them executed, but they were able to flee on a ship of troops setting sail for the United States. In the Second World War, they elected to use their powers to assist the Allies in liberating France, Adagio’s favorite country. (They refused to sing for Hitler, and managed to evade every attempt the Nazis made at catching them, if only just.)

With the invention of widely available recorded music, the Dazzlings were able to spread themselves out beyond mere physical presence. Though they could not feed off of someone merely playing a record, the exposure helped, since it meant more people would attend their concerts. They hit a snag in the 1960s when a certain quartet of musicians from the English port city of Liverpool became the biggest band in the world, but after the 1970 break-up, things improved once again.

Then came Canterlot, and disaster.

* * *

**_Canterlot City Cafe, September 4th_ **

The Dazzlings had only been in Canterlot for a day or two when the Fall Formal occurred. Times had been difficult, the invention of social media meant that more humans were aware of the violence that typically accompanied one of their live performances. This meant they had to wear baggy clothes that could hide their faces, and sing as unobtrusively as possible to avoid attracting unwanted attention, like they were doing now.

As their current piece came to an end, Aria sighed and threw back her hood, annoyed as ever. “That was barely worth the effort, Adagio. I'm tired of fast food. I need a meal,” she complained.

“And as I have explained to you repeatedly,” Adagio said through gritted teeth, “the energy in this world isn't the same as in Equestria. We can only gain so much power here.”

“Ugh!” groaned Aria. “I wish we'd never been banished to this awful place!”

“I'll tell you one thing, being stuck here with you two isn't making this world any more bearable,” Adagio replied, rising to leave. “Come on, let’s get back on the road. If we hurry we can make it to Manehattan by-” She froze. A cyan-colored beam of light was shining from the opposite side of town, and she could feel something like electricity give her goosebumps.

Adagio turned and ran outside, standing near the cafe’s entrance. As she watched, a tower of rainbow-colored light rose up and struck something before disappearing into the clouds. At the same instant, Adagio felt her gem shimmer with power.

“Did you feel that?!” she asked her sisters, unable to hide her excitement. “Do you know what that is?!” As the other two shrugged, she continued: “It’s Equestrian magic!”

“But this world doesn’t have Equestrian magic,” Aria shot back. Lately, she’d been trying to usurp Adagio’s position as leader, exhausted with her older sister’s increasingly secretive approach to food-gathering.

“It does now,” Adagio replied. “Not much, but enough. And we're going to use it to make everyone in this pathetic little world _adore_ us!”

“Don’t they, like, do that already?” asked Sonata.

“They don’t _worship_ us, Sonata,” Adagio replied. “They never have, even Homer made us out as creatures to be feared, rather than as goddesses to be revered. But no more. With Equestrian magic present here, we can rule this world and take back our true forms once and for all.” She pointed east. “Tomorrow, girls, we go back to school.”

Aria groaned. “There’s no possible way this could go wrong,” she muttered, as Adagio led them back to the hotel where they’d been staying.

* * *

**_Canterlot High School, September 14th_ **

Sunset Shimmer was nervous. Today was to be her first day at CHS since the Fall Formal and the end of her week-long suspension, and she couldn’t help but feel anxious over how the school might treat her. Even so, she packed up her backpack and grabbed a granola bar from a box on the counter of her kitchenette, then went outside to wait for Gem.

Still, today wouldn’t be all bad. She at least had four other girls in her corner: Gemini Shadow, Raven Sable, Vinyl Scratch, and the newest addition to the group, Vinyl’s girlfriend Octavia Melody. Sunset had spent as much as time as she could with them over the past two weeks, and they, in turn, had made it clear she was forgiven for her past transgressions.

Soon, there was the honking of a horn and Gem’s car came rolling up to the front door of Sunset’s apartment. “Good morning, Sunset!” Gem called out, waving as she rolled down the window. “Ready for school?”

“As I’ll ever be,” replied Sunset, heaving a sigh as she pulled open the passenger door and climbed inside. She buckled up, and Gem began the drive toward CHS, guiding her car easily through the morning traffic.

“Are you sure everything’s going to be okay, Gem?” Sunset asked her friend as she watched the scenery go by.

Gem bit her lip. “Well, not a hundred percent sure, I’ll admit. You did a lot more than just cause trouble at the Formal.”

“A demon,” Sunset replied. “I turned into a raging she-demon. Also I tried to brainwash everybody into being my own personal teenage army. _And_ I spent a long time working my way to the top of the social ladder, and bullying everyone else once I got there.” She laid her forehead on the window. “This is gonna be a disaster…”

“Sunset, relax,” said Gem bracingly. “No matter how the rest of the students react, you know us girls will always have your back!”

That got Sunset to smile, if only a little. “The noogie Vinyl gave me as revenge for crashing her car probably helped.”

Gem laughed, “It did, yes. And Octavia’s completely new to the school, just like I was once upon a time! If anyone is unbiased in this entire situation, it’s her!”

“That’s true,” agreed Sunset. “She kind of reminds me of you. Must be the accent.”

Gem blushed. “Well, we did used to attend the same school in Trottingham…”

* * *

The hallways of CHS were busy as ever in the half hour or so before classes began. Students milled around collecting items from their lockers or just chatted with their friends, regardless of which group they fit into. Since Princess Twilight had visited and brought an end to Sunset’s reign of terror, the atmosphere of the place had loosened up considerably as new friendships formed all across the school.

“You were right, Vinyl!” said a black-haired grey-skinned [cellist](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/66/f0/af/66f0af7317dece2e9ff468a2d29ec001.jpg) with purple eyes, smiling at her pale-skinned, blue-haired girlfriend as they walked the halls together. “This place feels far less strict than Prufrock Prepatory School!”

“Told ya,” Vinyl said with a grin, kissing Octavia’s cheek. Vinyl had been dating her for a few months now, ever since they’d met on MyStable over the summer. It had taken a bit of effort to convince the cellist’s family to let Octavia move to Canterlot, but the ringing endorsement CHS had received from Gem’s relatives (the Melody and Shadow clans had been friends for years) smoothed things over.

“Morning, ladies,” said a voice with a strong Manehattan accent. Raven sauntered into view, wearing her usual grey t-shirt with a blue vest and plaid purple skirt with black boots. “Sunset here yet?”

“Not yet,” replied Octavia, checking her phone. “But I’m sure she’ll be here soon!”

Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth did the school’s front doors open. Gem came in first, took a look around, and gave a thumbs-up to an unseen figure on the other side of the glass.

Then, very slowly, Sunset Shimmer entered the school, doing her best to make herself look small and inconspicuous. It was quite a change from the girl who had once stomped through the halls like she owned the place. As she came inside, the low babble of chatter slowly died away to be replaced with absolute perfect silence.

For quite some time, the soft sound of Sunset’s boots against tile was all anyone heard as she walked down the hall, only briefly glancing up at the encouraging smiles given to her by the four girls she now called her friends. Everyone else stood with their back to her, giving her the cold shoulder.

“This isn’t going as well as I’d hoped,” whispered Gem into Raven’s ear. “I didn’t think everyone would act like this!”

“Neither did I,” Raven whispered back. “Things can’t get worse than this, can they?”

Vinyl thwapped her on the head. “Don’t say things like that!” she hissed. “Now you’re just begging for trouble!”

Sure enough, trouble was exactly what they got. As Sunset climbed the stairs to the floor where her locker was, the cold shoulder continued unabated, but there was more. Someone had defaced the [locker](https://www.deviantart.com/jowybean/art/She-Demon-commission-694733233), writing the words “SHE-DEMON” in bright red letters using a spray can, even adding devil horns and a demonic tail for artistic flair.

Sunset stopped where she stood, tears beginning to fill her eyes. “Who… who would do such a thing?” she asked, staring in horror at the display. “Gem, I thought you said things would be okay!”

“I didn’t realize someone would stoop so far as to write graffiti onto your locker, Sunset!” Gem exclaimed. “I’m sorry, I really am!”

“I know,” sniffled Sunset. “But I don’t think _they_ are.” Gesturing to the other students, she ran back down the hall and down the stairs, then out of school altogether.

Gem put her face in her hands, looking upset herself. “No! This wasn’t how it was supposed to go at all!”

“We should probably tell the Sisters,” Raven reasoned. “I’ll go get them.” She headed in the opposite direction toward the administration offices.

* * *

In what seemed like no time at all, the entire Canterlot High student body reported to the gymnasium for an emergency assembly. Sunset was conspicuous by her absence, an empty space was left for her as the students filed in. No one spoke, there was only the shuffling of thousands of shoes as the students entered and sat on the bleachers.

On the stage, Celestia and Luna were looking grim. “Good morning,” began Luna, speaking in her role as CHS’ disciplinarian. “As I’m sure you all know, a student sprayed insulting graffiti on the locker belonging to Ms. Sunset Shimmer as she returned to school following the incident at the Formal. The investigation is still ongoing, but rest assured those responsible will be punished. Bullying remains a crime at Canterlot High, regardless of reasoning or who is involved.”

“I expect all of you to treat Sunset Shimmer like you would any other student,” Celestia said. “I realize that memories of her past are still very fresh, but that is no excuse to make her feel unwelcome. Is that understood?”

There was a dull roar of assent from the bleachers.

“Furthermore,” Celestia continued, now speaking in a brighter voice, “there is a second reason we’ve called you here this morning. Luna and I have noticed that many of our students are musically inclined, and to boost morale following the Formal, we are hereby announcing a musical showcase, open to all students who wish to sign up. If you’re interested, feel free to visit my office at any time over the next few days, the showcase is scheduled for the weekend after next!”

Loud, excited chattering broke out as the students were dismissed and began to file to their next class, practically everyone was planning to sign up and form a band. Vinyl, Octavia, Raven, and Gem were no different, they met up by the gym doors and began walking down the hall to the music room, as they had a free period before lunch.

“Girls, I think we’re all thinking the same thing,” said Vinyl with a grin. “We should form a band!”

“But what would we play?” asked Octavia. “You work in the electronic genre, Gem and myself are classical musicians, and Raven plays guitar! That’s at least three different genres!”

“I know!” Vinyl said enthusiastically. “We’ll make music no one at CHS has ever heard before, we’ll be totally unique!” A thought struck her. “We should get Sunset in on this too!”

“I think that sounds like a splendid idea,” agreed Gem. “A group activity like this is just what she needs to help improve her reputation!” She grabbed her phone, “I’ll text her immediately!”

“Atta girl, Gem,” said Raven happily, kissing Gem’s cheek. “How about we meet back here after school and practice?”

Vinyl shook her head. “No way, the bookings for this room are gonna be a nightmare for days. We need a private space, somewhere where we won’t be interrupted by other students.”

Octavia tapped her chin, then straightened her bow tie. “My house has a rehearsal room for me to practice cello in,” she said at last. “We could use that, it’s acoustically treated and everything!”

“It sounds perfect,” said Gem with a smile. “Let’s do it, girls!” They then spent the rest of the free period and lunch putting together a plan of action.

* * *

That afternoon, the five girls all met up at Octavia’s house to practice. As luck would have it, her parents were out of town on business, which meant they would be able to play without fear of interruption. Vinyl had brought along an electronic drum kit, Gem had her keyboard, Raven had her guitar, and Octavia had her cello.

“Uh… don’t you need a bow for that?” Raven asked, as Octavia lugged the instrument into the room and sat down on a chair.

“Not exactly,” Octavia replied with a grin. She turned the cello on to its side and began to play it as if it were a bass guitar, her fingers flying across the neck.

“Alright, that’s pretty clever,” said Raven, chuckling. “Sunset, do you want in on this?”

Sunset jumped, having spent the past several minutes leaning against a wall. “Wha?! Oh, uh… no thanks, Raven. I think I’m good. I’ll just stand here and observe!”

“If you say so,” Raven replied, shrugging. “What song should we start with, girls?”

“I have a suggestion!” Gem placed her fingers on the keys and began to [play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPtK3seun3o) a few synth chords. Vinyl, recognizing the tune immediately, joined in on drums while Raven and Octavia provided a little extra rhythm. Then Gem began to sing:

> _Are you burnin’ baby?_
> 
> _Lighting up the dark_
> 
> _Can you hardly take it?_
> 
> _Everyone wising in stars_
> 
> _Can you feel me shakin’? (shakin)_
> 
> _Makin’ our dreams come true_
> 
> _All the hearts you’re breakin’ (breakin’)_
> 
> _Cause’ there’s nobody else like you_
> 
> _We run across the sky (the sky)_
> 
> _Faster than the speed of light_
> 
> _We’ve got magic on our side (our side)_
> 
> _‘Cause you know what you are_
> 
> _You’re my shooting star_
> 
> _Shooting star_
> 
> _You are, you are_
> 
> _Shooting star_
> 
> _You are, you are_

Then Raven took a verse:

> _Are you goin’ crazy?_
> 
> _All eyes on you_
> 
> _The vibes you be creatin’_
> 
> _Electric neon blue_
> 
> _Stardusted hazy (hazy)_
> 
> _Dancin’ on the moon_
> 
> _There’s no escapin’ (escapin’)_
> 
> _A galaxy in a bloom_

For the chorus, they harmonized:

> _We run across the sky (the sky)_
> 
> _Faster than the speed of light_
> 
> _We’ve got magic on our side (our side)_
> 
> _‘Cause you know what you are_
> 
> _You’re my shooting star_
> 
> _Shooting star_
> 
> _You are, you are_
> 
> _Shooting star_
> 
> _You are, you are_

As the four musicians sang and played, a surprising transformation took place. Short fur that matched their respective complexions sprouted from their skin, pony ears poked through their hair, tails appeared, they developed hooves rather than feet, and equine muzzles. Gem and Vinyl received horns, while Raven sprouted wings. (Octavia sported no additional features.)

Octavia let out a surprised whinny and stopped playing, bringing the song to a sudden halt. “What on Earth?! What am I?!” she shrieked, looking at herself in alarm.

“It’s alright, Tavi!” Vinyl said, coming out from behind the kit to hold Octavia close. “You’re just a pony now, it happens whenever we play music.”

Octavia sniffed. “Of course, magic… and here I thought you said that Princess Twilight person took all the magic with her when she left after the Formal.” (She’d been out of town that night.)

“That’s what we thought too,” said Gem, pawing at the ground a bit. “But I guess there must be a little magic left here after all, if we can still change like this.”

“It’s not permanent, is it?” asked Octavia, flicking her tail worriedly. “I don’t want to have to explain to Mother and Father why their daughter suddenly has to eat hay and oats and things like that.”

Surprisingly, it was Sunset who answered. “You’ll be fine, Octavia. A cross-species transformation like this will naturally dissipate before too long, since the local magic field here is too weak to sustain it for an extended period. It’d take a _lot_ more than one practice session to make it permanent.”

“Local magic field?” Octavia echoed. “Sunset, I’m afraid I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about!”

“Let me explain,” said Sunset, going over to a nearby dry-erase board and starting to draw. “As you know, even though the portal changed me into a human, I was born a pony. Back where I’m from, the entire planet is surrounded by a field of magic. Think of it as our version of your magnetic field.” She drew a big circle with rough shapes of continents, then a series of lines arcing outward. 

“The stronger a magic field is,” she continued, “the more spells a unicorn can cast, and the easier it is for pegasi to control weather or manipulate clouds, and for earth ponies to grow plants.” Next she drew a crown, and a rough sketch of CHS’ front entrance. “When I came to this world, I brought a magical object with me: the Element of Magic. Even by itself, the Element of Magic is a ridiculously powerful artifact, capable of at least forming a magic field where there was none previously. This field _should_ have dissipated when Twilight left, but it didn’t.”

“Why didn’t it?” Octavia asked.

Sunset sighed and drew the face of a red-skinned demoness, then a rainbow. “I used the power of the Element of Magic and turned into a raging she-demon,” she said at last. “Then, Princess Twilight, her consort, Gem, Raven, and Vinyl all transformed and defeated me using the magic of friendship. Usually, that kind of power is channeled through all six Elements of Harmony, but just about anyone can use it if the field is strong enough and there is magic being actively used.”

“Like your hypnosis spell and stuff!” Raven said, snapping her fingers.

Sunset nodded. “Exactly. Friendship magic is kind of a mystery back home. No one really knows how it works, only that it’s literally the most powerful force known to ponies. And it had never been used in a low-magic world like this one until the Formal. The crown may have generated a magic field, but defeating me with the power of harmony made it permanent.”

“You mean,” Octavia said, “there’s magic all around us now? In the whole world?”

Sunset shook her head again. “Not the whole world, no. If you went to Baltimare and tried to play music there, you wouldn’t transform at all. There _is_ a magic field here in Canterlot though, mainly covering the part of town where Canterlot High is. The farther away from that area you go, the weaker it gets. Thus, CHS is where the field is strongest, especially right at the portal itself, since that’s a big magical object too.”

“I think I’m starting to understand,” Octavia said. “The stronger the magic field is, and the more we play, the more likely it is this change will be permanent?”  
  
Again, Sunset shook her head. “Nope. For a permanent change, you’d need a much bigger magic field than just a few city blocks. While it is possible for the field to grow, playing music isn’t going to be the reason why.” She smiles. “So like I said, don’t worry. You’re going to be fine.”

Octavia looked dubiously at her tail, but nodded. “Very well, Sunset… you are clearly the expert on this subject, and therefore I trust you.”

Sunset blushed.

* * *

It was midnight in Canterlot. The otherwise busy streets were quiet, and a full moon shone in the sky, illuminating the city in a pale imitation of sunlight. It was chilly too, now that fall had arrived. Adagio Dazzle could see her breath come out in little clouds as she and her sisters walked through the empty city toward Canterlot High.

At this time of night, the school looked almost imposing, hidden in shadows as it was. The doors would be locked, of course, but Adagio didn’t care. She wouldn’t be going inside, after all.

“This must be the place,” said Aria Blaze quietly. “I can feel something here.” She fingered the red ruby pendant she wore, it seemed to glow with an unearthly, alien light.

“What you’re feeling is _power_ , Aria,” said Adagio, looking around. “ _Real_ power, genuine Equestrian magic… this entire part of the city is covered in it, but especially here.” She touched the cold stone of the portal, and laid the palm of her hand on it. If she concentrated, she could almost feel the magic inside churning away, even though the portal itself was currently closed.

“How are we gonna get at that power, Dagi?” asked Sonata, tilting her head like a cat.

Adagio picked up a fallen poster that advertised the coming musical showcase. “Ah… it seems this school will be holding a musical showcase of some sort… perhaps we should put in an appearance.” She smiled darkly. “Though why stop at a mere showcase, when a _battle_ would taste so much better?”

“So we're just gonna do what we always do?” said Aria, rolling her eyes. She’d heard plans like these an innumerable amount of times over the centuries. “Stir up some trouble and then feed off the negative energy? Some plan, Adagio.”

“It won't be the same as the times before!” Adagio replied. “There is Equestrian magic here. Their negative energy will give us the power we need to get this entire world to do our bidding.” She fingered her necklace. “Our voices are just strong enough to make them want something _so badly_ , they'll fight to get it. Hence the Battle. The more driven they are to compete, the easier it will be for us to tear them apart.”

Aria nodded. “Okay, I think I’m starting to like this plan. When do we move in?”  
  
“Tomorrow,” Adagio replied. “The sooner we move in and bend these humans to our will, the faster we’ll have our real powers back.” She turned on her heel and marched back the way they had come.

* * *

**_Canterlot High School, September 15th_ **

There was a long line outside the administration area of CHS the next morning as what looked like each and every member of the student body signed up to perform in the showcase. Raven was toward the front of the line, discussing potential band names with Vinyl.

“How about The Flock?” Raven suggested, tossing a guitar pick up in the air as she spoke, then catching it.

“Maybe,” said Vinyl, shrugging. “What’s the collective noun for a group of ravens, anyway?”

“An unkindness,” Raven replied. “That’s also what my family calls our family reunions.” She tapped her chin. “Doesn’t really work for a band name though.”

“We turn into ponies when we play,” said Vinyl. “Why not something pony-related?”

Raven laughed. “Like what? The Horseshoes? Four Mares and a She-Demon? The Haymunchers?”

Vinyl snapped her fingers. “I got it! How about The Elements? Since we can make badass rainbow friendship lasers too?”

Raven nodded. “Works for me.” And so, when it was their turn, she wrote The Elements in a little box on the sign-up sheet, along with their members: herself, Vinyl, Gem, and Octavia. (Sunset was not an official member, instead acting as their quasi-manager.)

Speaking of Sunset, the former unicorn was downstairs in the main atrium, about to greet three new students. She’d volunteered in the hopes that she’d be able to make a good first impression before the CHS rumor mill told them about her past.

As she came down the steps, she saw three young women standing near the doors: one had yellow skin and curly orange hair, another had magenta skin with purple hair and green streaks, and the third had blue skin and duo-toned blue hair. All three wore necklaces with bright red gems, and they seemed to carry some kind of aura that Sunset wasn’t sure she liked.

Even so, she put on her best welcoming smile and said, “Hi! Are you the girls I'm supposed to show around?”

“We are,” said the yellow one, who seemed to be the leader. “I am Adagio Dazzle, and these are my sisters Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said Sunset, shaking each girl’s hand. “I’m Sunset Shimmer. Canterlot High is a great school, you’re really gonna love it!”

“Yes,” agreed Adagio, smiling like a predator catching its prey. It made Sunset shiver just to look at it, and goosebumps raised on her skin as the yellow girl made eye contact. “Oh, yes, we really sense there's something... _magical_ about this place.”

Sunset blinked. That had been a peculiar choice of words. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, uh… let’s get going, I guess!” With that, she began to guide the three sirens through the hallways of the school, pointing out each department’s specific hallway (one for math, one for history, another for English and foreign language courses, and a fourth for the sciences) as well as the computer and science labs, the library, the gym, the cafeteria, and the athletic field.

As they went along, Sunset pointed out one of the posters for the upcoming showcase. “We're having a big musical showcase this weekend!” she said, gesturing to the poster. “The whole school is pretty much rallying around it. I'm sure since you're new, Principal Celestia would let you sign up if you're interested.”

“We have been known to sing from time to time,” said Aria, chewing on some bubble gum.

“Hello? We sing, like, all the time! It's how we get people to do what we want!” Sonata added, but looked confused as Adagio drew her fingers across her throat in the universal gesture of _“STOP TALKING OR I SWEAR TO FAUST I WILL SLIT YOUR THROAT.”_

“What my sister _means_ to say is that being in a musical showcase sounds like a great way to meet other students,” said Adagio, hoping Sunset hadn’t noticed. She rolled her eyes. “You'll have to excuse them. They're idiots.”

Sunset laughed nervously, trying desperately to change the subject. Her eyes fell on the pendants. “Those are pretty! Where did you-” She froze in mid-sentence. She’d reached out to touch one and Adagio had grabbed her wrist as if about to break it, but then released her grip.

“Sorry, these pendants mean an awful lot to us,” Adagio explained. “We'd just hate for anything to happen to them.”

Sunset nodded. “Right, gotcha. Well, that’s pretty much the grand tour. I’ll show you to Principal Celestia’s office so you can sign up for the showcase.” And she led them back toward the admin area, now mercifully free of students.

* * *

At lunchtime, the cafeteria was filled with students chattering and working on what they might perform for the showcase. At their usual table near the back was Sunset and her friends.

“How was the tour?” asked Gem, as Sunset came over with her lunch and sat down to join the other four girls.

“I don't know,” Sunset replied. “I mean, these girls, they were... There was something _off_ about them. I can't put my finger on it, they just acted sort of... strange around me.” Her eyes grew wide. “Maybe someone already talked to them, told them about what I did!” She put her head in her hands and sighed. “So much for making a good first impression…”

“I’m sure that wasn’t it, Sunset,” said Octavia, placing a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Did they say anything strange?”

Sunset looked up. “You know, they did mention magic once, and they seemed awfully protective of these pendants they wore… I wonder if…” She looked thoughtful. “No way. The portal’s closed.”

“You think those girls could be from Equestria, like you?” Raven asked.

Sunset could only shrug. “I really hope not. The last thing we need is another CHS event almost ruined by some power-crazed lunatic.” She smirked a bit as she said it.

Just as the words left Sunset’s mouth however, something surprising happened. The cafeteria doors banged open, and the very girls Sunset had shown around the school that morning sauntered inside, vocalizing. Gradually the babble of talk died away as everyone realized what was going on, just in time for them to begin [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki6bXoAiSlA):

> _We heard you want to get together_
> 
> _We heard you want to rock this school_
> 
> _We've thought of something that is better_
> 
> _Something that changes all the rules_
> 
> _Why pretend we're all the same_
> 
> _When some of us shine brighter?_
> 
> _Here's a chance to find your flame_
> 
> _Are you a loser or a fighter?_
> 
> _Me and you, you and me_
> 
> _Why don't we see who is better?_
> 
> _We don't have to be one and the same thing_
> 
> _Oh, what's so wrong with a little competition?_
> 
> _Are you afraid of failing the audition?_
> 
> _You're a star and you should know it_
> 
> _Yeah, you rise above the rest_
> 
> _It doesn't matter who you hurt_
> 
> _If you're just proving you're the best_
> 
> _Ah, ahh-ahh-ahhh_
> 
> _Battle! You wanna win it_
> 
> _Let's have a battle, battle of the bands_
> 
> _Let's have a battle, we'll go all in it_
> 
> _Let's have a battle, battle, battle_
> 
> _Battle of the bands!_

As they sang, the five girls at the back watched in mounting horror and confusion as their fellow students began to turn on each other, their eyes glowing green as the hypnotic powers of the sirens took effect.

“I can beat you!” shouted someone.

“Ha, you wish!” yelled someone else in reply.

“I _so_ want this!” cried a third person.

“Not if I get it first!” exclaimed a fourth.

As the mood continued to sour, the Dazzlings went into the chorus, now with the students joining in:

> _Me and you, you and me_
> 
> _Why don't we see who is better?_
> 
> _We don't have to be one and the same thing_
> 
> _Oh, what's so wrong with a little competition?_
> 
> _I'm going out and winning the audition_
> 
> _Battle! We wanna win it_
> 
> _Let's have a battle, battle of the bands_
> 
> _Let's have a battle, we'll go all in it_
> 
> _Let's have a battle, battle, battle_
> 
> _Battle of the bands!_

“What do we do now?!” exclaimed Raven, looking panicked. Students were arguing now, and the room was filled with angry shouts.

“Run!” yelled Gem, springing from her chair. She ran for the cafeteria doors, staying to the edges of the room and avoiding as many arguing students as she could, gripping Raven’s hand the whole way. Sunset, Vinyl, and Octavia were close behind, as everyone was too caught up in their own fights to notice them leave.

Except for the Dazzlings of course. Adagio frowned as the five girls ran for their lives, and stroked her chin. Whoever they were, they weren’t affected by the song… that could present a problem. She tapped Aria on the shoulder and pointed the five out. “You and Sonata, tail those girls and see if you can find out why they’re not under our control,” she said. “But don’t interact. Let’s give them a false sense of security.”

“On it,” Aria replied, saluting. She dragged Sonata away from a tray of tacos and stalked off after Sunset and her friends, careful to remain hidden.

* * *

“Okay, seriously, what the _hell_ was that?” asked Raven angrily. Her Manehattan accent tended to get thicker the angrier she was. “One minute everything’s fine, then those three bimbos show up, sing a song, and the next thing you know everyone’s arguing at each other!”

“Those three are definitely in possession of some kind of dark magic,” Sunset agreed. “How else could you explain what happened back there?”

“But how would they have gotten the magic to begin with?” Octavia asked, puzzled. “I thought there weren’t any magical objects left now that the Princess is gone!”

“I don’t have the faintest idea,” Sunset admitted. “However they got it, they have to be stopped before they can hypnotize anyone else.” And so they headed toward Principal Celestia’s office.

“Aren’t we gonna follow ‘em?” Sonata asked, watching the girls depart from the hiding place she and Aria had found.

Aria shook her head. “Nah, we already got to Principal Sunbutt, remember? Even so, Dagi _has_ to know about this. If these girls know about magic, that could give us a lot of problems.”

“Okie dokie!” Sonata said, bouncing along toward the cafeteria. Aria face-palmed.

* * *

Sure enough, the visit with Celestia and Luna did not go very well. Celestia dismissed their concerns outright, while Luna insinuated that Sunset may have been trying to take the heat off her in light of the formal. During the conversation, Sunset had noticed the two adults’ eyes were glowing green, just as the students’ had during lunch. Fearing the worst, Sunset quickly left the office with her friends and headed for the halls.

“So much for that idea,” Vinyl said with a sigh. “I can't believe they got to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna too.”

“It seems like they’ve gotten to everybody,” agreed Gem.

“Not everybody,” reasoned Octavia. “We were there when the Dazzlings were singing and we weren't affected. It was as if we were protected somehow.”

“I think that might be friendship magic at work,” Sunset said. “But I can’t say for sure.”

Gem sighed unhappily. “If only we could get a message to Twilight… Maybe she could tell us how to break the spell the Dazzlings have cast on our friends!”

Sunset smiled. “Actually, that’s a pretty good idea, Gem… and I know just how to do it.” She led them to her locker and pulled out a dusty brown book with a stylized image of the sun on the front cover. 

“When I was Princess Celestia's student back in Equestria, she gave me this,” Sunset explained, holding the book out for them to see. “Even after I abandoned my studies, I held onto it. Deep down, I guess I knew I was making a big mistake, and I wanted to still have a way to reach out to her. Maybe it still works.”

Gem blinked. “What does it do?”

“It’s a magic journal,” Sunset replied. “It used to be that if I wrote something here, it would appear in the pages of a book back in Princess Celestia's library. I get a message to _her_ , then _she_ can get a message to Princess Twilight!”

“Then what are you waiting for?!” exclaimed Raven, producing a pen like a magician. “Get to writing!”

Sunset took the pen, and muttered: “Been a long time since I've written _these_ words. _Dear Princess Celestia…_ ” Then she began to write.

* * *

**_Ponyville, Equestria, September 15th_ **

Much had changed in Ponyville over the last few months. In the spring, Princess Twilight had done battle with the evil Tirek, an escapee from Tartarus who had sucked all the magic out from everypony in Equestria, including her fellow princesses. In the aftermath of his defeat, Twilight had received a new [castle](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/6/69/Mane_6_staring_at_the_castle_S4E26.png/revision/latest?cb=20140512194130) courtesy of the Tree of Harmony, as a form of compensation for Tirek’s destruction of Golden Oak Library.

Since then, Twilight and her friends had been busy helping her move into her new castle. While there was still work to be done, the library was on its way to being filled, thanks to a combination of books rescued from the old library (all of them in fact, except the ones that had been checked out, because of a fireproofing spell) and donations from the citizens of Ponyville, Canterlot, and Equestria at large.

The castle itself was truly enormous, more than twice the size of the library had been, and located at the edge of Ponyville’s northwestern end, rather than to the west of Town Hall. Made of blue and purple crystals, it at least resembled a tree, complete with several balconies. (Twilight had already placed a telescope on one of them, given to her by the Equestria National Observatory.) There were far more rooms too, and Twilight had used one of them to build a new laboratory for herself so she could continue her magic experiments. There was also a large kitchen, a master bedroom with a king-size bed for herself and Emerald to sleep in, a throne room, and the aforementioned library, which was where the mirror had been moved to.

The [throne room](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/3/3c/Spike,_Rarity_and_Twilight_in_the_throne_room_EG2.png/revision/latest?cb=20141029005446) contained eight thrones: seven of them were for Twilight and her friends, and were thus marked with their cutie marks, with a smaller unmarked one for Spike. They were arranged in a circular fashion, in the following order: Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Emerald, with Spike’s throne placed right next to Twilight’s right side. 

Currently, Emerald was sitting on her throne reading a book. Twilight was on the floor, looking over some correspondence. Music played softly from a gramophone in the corner, its sound reflecting around the room’s many hard surfaces.

Then the throne room doors swung open, and a grey-furred earth pony stallion with a brown mane and tail, brown eyes, and a stetson perched on his head trotted into the room, hitched up to a wagon piled high with old books. His name was Longhaul, and he had been a common sight around Ponyville for quite a few years now. He worked as a freight-hauler, and his latest task was to assist Princess Twilight in her move.

Longhaul cleared his throat and spoke. “Excuse me, Princess. Where do you want all these books from Princess Celestia?” he asked.

Twilight looked up, smiling. “The library please, Longhaul! Third door on the left!”

“Even this one that’s glowing and vibrating?” asked Longhaul, gesturing to a book on the very top of the pile. Sure enough, the book was glowing bright pink and vibrating gently, but insistently.

“Ah, no, I’ll take that one!” Twilight said, springing to her hooves and taking the book in her own magic. “Thank you, Longhaul!”

Longhaul tipped his hat to her, smiling. “You’re most welcome, Princess.” And with that he trotted off to the library to put the books away.

“What’s that book for, Sparks?” Emerald asked, jumping down from her throne like a cat.

Twilight flipped through the book. “It appears to be some kind of diary… the pages alternate between Princess Celestia’s writing and somepony else’s…” She caught a name. “It’s Sunset Shimmer! This is a communication journal!”

Emerald nodded. “Right, a communication journal. And that is…”

“One of two journals that have been enchanted to allow for two-way communication between owners,” Twilight explained. “Very simply, somepony writes a message in one of the books, and the message appears in the book belonging to the other pony, allowing them to communicate over vast distances instantly. It’s much faster than traditional mail, but very rare outside of advanced thaumalogical studies.” She smiled faintly. “I used to have a journal like this as a filly, before Spike was old enough to send mail. This one must have belonged to Princess Celestia!”

“Why would she send it to you, though?” Emerald asked. “Celestia knows Sunset’s alive and well, right? Wouldn’t she want to keep it?”

“She may not know Sunset still has her journal,” Twilight said. She flipped to the last written page before a series of blank ones. “If the journal’s twin is destroyed, the communication spell breaks. Celestia must have assumed that Sunset’s journal was destroyed when she crossed over, and included it in the shipment accidentally.”

Emerald nodded. “Maybe, but this is _Celestia_ we’re talking about. I don’t think she’d be that forgetful.”

“Even princesses make mistakes,” Twilight said, before starting to read. She frowned deeper and deeper with every word. “Oh no…”

“What’s wrong?” Emerald asked. “You’ve got your bad news face on again.”

“It’s a message to Princess Celestia from our friends at Canterlot High,” said Twilight. “It sounds like they need my help! _Our_ help!”

“Go on?” Emerald prompted.

Twilight nodded. “Sunset says three strange girls have hypnotized everyone at the school. The way Sunset Shimmer described them, I think these new girls sound an awful lot like the sirens.”

“You mean the ones Starswirl banished to the human world?” Emerald asked. At Twilight’s nod, she heaved a sigh. “Well, that’s just great. But Star Swirl must have sent them there ages ago. How come they're just surfacing now?”

“I don't know,” admitted Twilight. “But if my hunch is right and it _is_ the sirens who have come to Canterlot High, this spell they've cast is just the beginning.” She ran for the library, Emerald at her heels. “We have to get back to them!”

“I’ll write a note for Spike,” said Emerald, summoning some paper and a quill. She quickly wrote: _Spike: Gone to CHS to solve a magical emergency. Back soon. Love, Em._

Twilight shot a bolt of magic at the casting crystal attached to her portal-opening device, and at once the portal sprang to life, a colorful vortex replacing the normal pane of glass. She and Emerald dove through, and were gone.


	5. The Music in Our Hearts: Part 2

As the school day came to an end, five girls sat at various positions around the Wondercolt statue, waiting for any kind of a reply from a certain purple princess. The letter had been sent shortly after noon, and it was now just after 2 PM. And yet, no word had come.

“Do we have a backup plan in case she doesn’t show?” Vinyl asked Sunset, hitting the pause button on her [iPod](https://bit.ly/3d4rXkp).

Sunset could only shrug. “Not really. Since we don’t have anything like the Elements of Harmony here, we’ll have to figure out some other way for you girls to use your magic, and I don’t even know how magic _works_ in this world.”

Before Vinyl could reply, the stone behind her began to ripple and out flew Twilight and Emerald, returned to their human bodies. They landed in a pile of limbs, struggling to stand.

“TWILIGHT!” chorused all five girls. Sunset and Gem walked over and helped them up.

“Oh, I do hate that you had to return at a time of crisis,” said Gem, before embracing both Equestrians tight. “But we’re glad to see you all the same! There's so much catching up to do!”

“I’ll say,” said Twilight, smiling back at her human friends. “I don’t suppose we could get something to eat first? I forget to eat when I’m on a studying binge.” Her stomach growled, and she blushed.

Gem laughed. “Of course we can, your highness. I know just the place!” And away they went.

* * *

All too soon, the seven friends were sitting at their usual booth at Sugarcube Corner, with milkshakes and pastries in hand.

“So, Twilight?” began Gem. “Perhaps you would give us just the slightest bit of gossip from your world?”

“Well, for starters, she’s got an official title now!” Emerald said at once, imitating a trumpet fanfare. “The Princess of Friendship!”

“Oh, indeed?” Octavia smiled. “How wonderful! What exactly does a Princess of Friendship do?”

“That’s the part I haven’t quite figured out yet,” admitted Twilight, sipping her milkshake.

“Even so, that's really impressive,” agreed Sunset. “Guess you really _were_ Princess Celestia's prized pupil.”

“She's even got her own castle!” Emerald added.

“A castle?! Goodness!” Gem exclaimed, “How charming! Did you not have one already?”

“I used to live in the public library,” Twilight said, but her eyes looked downcast. “It got destroyed a few months ago during a battle with an evil centaur from Tartarus.”

Emerald nodded, “The castle came from that box of keys I told you about before, Gem. It just grew out of the ground like a tree! Even looks like one, only way huger and made of crystal.”

“It sounds beautiful,” said Octavia. “Maybe we can visit sometime!”

Twilight smiled. “I’d love it if you came to visit, all of you. Especially you, Sunset.” (Sunset blushed again.) “But enough about me, what's new here? I mean, besides your school becoming the target of dangerous magical creatures from Equestria. Again. No offense.”

“None taken,” said Sunset automatically.

“Yeah, so, that isn't exactly the _only_ strange thing that's happened since you left,” said Raven, playing a video on her phone of herself transforming while playing guitar. “It happens to all of us when we play!”

Twilight tapped her chin, thinking. “Hmm. My crown was returned to Equestria, but some of its magic must have remained here at Canterlot High,” she said at last. “Enough to begin generating a small magic field!” She turned to Sunset. “You said those new girls were able to hypnotize almost all the human students, right?”

Sunset nodded. “Except for my friends, yeah.”

“Then that confirms it,” Twilight said. “There _is_ a magic field here, and it must be strong if it can cause spontaneous species transformations and hypnotism.” Again she looked to Sunset. “Did they have anything on their person that looked like a magical artifact?”

“The pendants!” Sunset said at once. “Three rubies hanging from a necklace! I could see them glowing at lunch today!”

“Then those must be magical artifacts, just like my crown was,” Twilight said. “And they must be just as powerful!”

“But how do we use _our_ magic?” Gem asked. “We don’t have any magical objects here, aside from Sunset’s journal.”

“You don’t need any,” Twilight explained with a smile. “The magic of friendship protected you from the sirens’ spell, and we can use that same magic to defeat them now, just like when we were able to use it on Sunset Shimmer when she turned into that horrifyingly awful winged monster!” A pause. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Sunset replied, smirking. “Again.”

“Then what are we waiting for?!” Vinyl exclaimed, getting up. “Let’s hit the road! There's a big party tonight for all the bands who signed up to be in the showcase! That would include the Dazzlings!”

“Then we don’t have a moment to lose,” said Twilight, pointing up and looking inspirational. “Let’s show those monsters what _real_ magic is!” And with Vinyl leading the way, they headed back toward CHS.

* * *

Despite the air conditioning which kept the room at a comfortable 72 degrees, the mood in Canterlot High’s gymnasium was frosty as the North Pole. Students stayed tightly packed in their little groups, only venturing out to gather drinks or food from the refreshment tables along one wall.

Surveying the scene from the bleachers, Adagio Dazzle couldn’t help but smirk at the handiwork her song had generated. “Oh, no! No one's mingling! It's like there's some kind of underlying tension that could bubble to the surface at any minute!” she said, gazing down at the spineless humans below.

“It's the fruit punch, isn't it?” said Sonata. “I _knew_ I used too much grape juice!”

Adagio sighed, her good mood dispersing abruptly. “It's _not_ the fruit punch! It's us! This is just the kickoff party, girls. Imagine what a tizzy they'll be in by the time the Battle of the Bands starts.” She rubbed her hands together gleefully. “I can feel our powers strengthening by the second!”

“Maybe it’s because we just got some new arrivals,” said Aria, pointing at the double doors on one side of the room. The members of The Wondercolts were arriving, Twilight in the lead.

“Well, well, well… what have we here?” asked Adagio, climbing down from the bleachers as slinkily as she could manage. “New challengers for the Battle, I take it?”

“We would be, but there isn’t going to _be_ a battle of the bands!” Twilight announced for all to hear. The students stopped their conversations and turned to look, recognizing her from just a few weeks ago.

“Oh no?” purred Adagio, walking right up to Twilight and tipping the purple girl’s chin up so they could gaze into each other’s eyes. (Adagio was taller than the princess, even without the heels she wore.) “And why is that?”

“Because we’re going to stop it!” Twilight replied, pulling Adagio’s arm away from her. She turned to her friends. “Alright girls, let’s do this!”

And, one by one, Gem, Vinyl, Twilight, Raven, Octavia, and Emerald all took one another’s hands as Twilight proclaimed, “FRIENDSHIP! IS! MAAAAAAGIIIIIIC!”

But there was no surge of magical power, no transformation, not even flowing manes and tails. The six girls remained utterly and entirely human, standing awkwardly in the middle of the gym as the rest of the school’s student body stared at them. Sunset, who had been watching from a few feet away, winced.

Raven coughed into the silence and whispered, “Uh, weren't there rainbows and lasers and stuff last time?”

“I don't understand,” Twilight replied. “We're all together again. Why isn't this working? I thought the six of us standing together against the sirens would bring out the magic we needed to defeat them. That's what happened before!”

“Talk about throwing down the gauntlet!” Adagio said loudly, taking ownership of the room once more. “This group is obviously serious about winning! A little cocky though, aren't they? Claiming there won't _really_ be a battle. Seems they think they've already got this thing _all locked up_.” She smirked once more. “Unless of course, the rest of you have anything to say about it?”

“We got something to say!” shouted someone. “YOU GOT NO CHANCE, Wondercolts!” Then, all at once, pandemonium began as everyone else ran for the snack table and started pelting food at Twilight’s group, Sunset included. Green smoke that only Sunset and the Dazzlings could see wafted up from everyone, and the sirens drank it in, their necklaces glowing with power as they did so.

“RUN!” Twilight yelled, heading for the doors. A couple of the larger students tried to block their way, but after seeing Raven pick up a folding chair and threaten them with it, they quickly scattered to join the food-throwers instead.

As the seven girls ran for it, Adagio watched them go, her expression almost hungry. “I think we may have found what we're looking for. Or rather, _it_ found us.”

Sonata blinked. “What found us?”

“Magic!!” snarled Adagio. “Don’t you see?! Everyone else has fallen under our spell. But not _these_ girls.” She pointed to the fleeing Wondercolts. “These girls are _special_. They have magic of their own, especially that purple one with the star on her dress. Magic that is protecting them from our song.”

“Ohhh!” Sonata nodded vigorously. “That just means we’re gonna have to work extra hard to bend them to our wills, right?”

Adagio nodded. “Exactly, little sister. Their magic is reliant on the power of friendship. What we have to do is split them up.” She snapped her fingers and pointed to the doors. “Let’s get going, we have a breakup to engineer.” And so the three sirens departed.

* * *

Feeling defeated, the seven girls retreated to the safety of Gem’s house. Sitting forlornly around the sitting room, they reflected on their disastrous first attempt at stopping the Dazzlings.

“It doesn't make any sense,” Twilight was saying. “I should have been able to create the spark that would help us break their spell! That's how it worked before!”

“But to defeat me, you drew magic from the crown _I_ was wearing,” Sunset pointed out. “The sirens' magic comes from their music. So maybe _you_ have to use the same kind of magic to defeat _them_.” A pause. “Or, uh… maybe not.”

Twilight smiled, “No, I think you’re on to something, Sunset.” She turned to her fellow student of Celestia. “It’s when your friends play music that they transform now, right?”

Sunset nodded. “Ears, tails, the whole shebang.”

“So maybe the way to use that magic to defeat the sirens is by playing a musical counter-spell!” Twilight exclaimed, beaming excitedly.

“So… a song,” said Emerald.

Twilight nodded, “Precisely! And in order to free everyone who's been exposed to the sirens' spell, we'll need them all to hear it!”

“But when will that be?” Vinyl asked.

Octavia snapped her fingers. “The band competition! That's the next time we can be certain everyone will be in the same place at the same time!”

“And we will need a songwriter, if we are to pull this off,” Gem agreed. “And a vocalist!”

“You don’t already have one?” Emerald asked, puzzled.

Gem shook her head. “Usually we take turns, but for something this important, having a dedicated lead vocalist would be useful.”

“I suppose I can try!” said Twilight. “I might take a little too long to learn how to play something with these.” She wiggled her fingers, having spent most of the day holding her hands as if they were hooves.

“Do you have a guitarist?” Emerald asked. “I can play a bit back home.” She frowned at her hands. “Might be hard with these.”

“I could teach you, if you wanted,” Sunset offered. “I picked up the guitar shortly after I moved here to improve my manual dexterity, and it matched that whole rebellious image I was going for.”

Emerald smiled. “I’d love it, Sunset. Thanks.”

Sunset smiled back, pleased to have a role at last. “Great! Lemme just swing by my apartment, I’ll grab my guitar and we can start lessons after dinner!”

“Actually, what _are_ we having for dinner?” Raven wondered. “It’s getting kinda late, and we never got the chance to eat anything at that party.”

“Let’s order pizza,” suggested Vinyl. “Meat toppings for us carnivores, veggies for the pony girls?”

“Sounds good to me,” Sunset said, getting up. “I’ll go to my apartment now, I should be back by the time the pizza arrives.”

“See you soon!” Gem chirped, grabbing her laptop to begin placing their orders.

* * *

Unfortunately, Twilight soon found that writing a musical counter spell was not as easy as she thought it would be. She worked late into the night, pausing only to eat a few slices of pizza with her friends before going back to work. It didn’t help that she could barely manage a legible scrawl with these terribly inefficient human hands, and she had to write in their language rather than in the casting runes of her native Equestrian. (The portal only did so much when it came to language translation.)

“I wish I had my telekinesis,” Twilight muttered to herself as she put her pen down for what felt like the millionth time, and ripped her latest attempt out of the notebook and crumpled it into a ball to join the others in a slowly-growing pile. By now, it was a little after midnight. The large house was almost utterly dark and silent, save for the small puddle of light made by the fixture above her head. She was sitting at Gem’s kitchen island, on a chair that was quite tall.

As she picked up the pen for another attempt, she heard the soft sound of someone padding down the stairs in bare feet, and soon Sunset was there, standing in the kitchen doorway wearing pink pajamas with her cutie mark on the front of the shirt. “Hey, Twilight,” she began. “You're up late. Still working on that counter-spell?”

Twilight nodded, frowning. “Unfortunately, it’s not going very well. I just don’t think I’m a songwriter.”

“You sure about that?” Sunset asked, smirking slightly. “I remember that song you sang to get everyone at school to vote for you in the princess election. It was pretty catchy.”

Twilight blushed. “It was also totally improvised. That’s not really going to cut it this time. We only get one shot at this, it has to be _perfect_.”

Sunset nodded. “Must be nice to have everyone always looking to you for answers to their problems... instead of waiting for you to _cause_ a problem.”

“Just because everyone expects something from you doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen,” Twilight pointed out.

“Well, that doesn't stop them from expecting it,” said Sunset.

“Which only makes things harder because the last thing you want to do is…” Twilight added.

“…let everybody down,” they both said unison. Sunset came over and placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Anyway… Twilight, it’s after midnight, and even princesses need to sleep. Come back upstairs and get some rest, I’m sure you’ll feel more creative in the morning. And if not, maybe we can all work on the spell together.”

“You think that’s a good idea?” Twilight asked. “What if the others are disappointed that I couldn’t do it myself?”

Sunset smiled. “You didn’t earn those wings doing things yourself, Twilight. You earned them by making friends. You’re a better student of Celestia than I ever was.” She walked back toward the stairs, and waited to see if Twilight would follow.

Twilight soon did so, closing the notebook and following Sunset back upstairs. She may not have had a spell ready, but her heart still felt lighter all the same.

* * *

The next day, Twilight was able to wrangle a rough idea for a song during study hall, after reading every book the school library had on songwriting. That afternoon, the band reconvened at Octavia’s house for the final rehearsal before the battle itself began the following day. Vinyl was on drums, Gem on keyboards, Octavia on bass guitar, Raven on lead guitar, Emerald on rhythm guitar, and and Twilight on vocals. (Sunset monitored the gear.)

“Alright, here goes,” Twilight said, straightening the lyric sheet on the stand in front of her. “Ready?”

“Ready!” said the other girls, and at a countdown from Vinyl, they began to [play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkl-71UPs-4).

> _Hey, hey, listen_
> 
> _We've got a message for you_
> 
> _We're not all alike_
> 
> _But our friendship is true_
> 
> _Yeah, we're really different_
> 
> _But we still get along_
> 
> _So hey, hey, listen to our song_
> 
> _You may think you're in control_
> 
> _But we're here to prove you wrong_
> 
> _With our friendship and our music_
> 
> _With the power of our song_
> 
> _Gonna stomp our feet, clap our hands_
> 
> _With the magic of friendship_
> 
> _Gonna stop your evil plan_

The performance was abysmal. Twilight’s vocals were nervous and halting, a far cry from her confident performance in the cafeteria. This had the effect of causing the other girls to play poorly, missing cues or playing off-beat altogether. The only one who played truly decently was Raven, who put in as much energy as she could into her lead guitar work.

Eventually, the song shuddered to a halt. “I think it's pretty obvious what's going wrong with this counter-spell,” said Raven, as she re-tuned her guitar.

Emerald raised an eyebrow. “You're turning what should be the chorus into a five-minute guitar solo?”

“I have to pick up the slack _some_ how! Are you guys even trying?!” Raven shot back. “And Twilight, I’m sorry, but those lyrics you wrote were just awful. The Dazzlings are definitely gonna know something’s up if we play that tomorrow!”

Emerald jabbed a finger in Raven’s face. “Hey! Lay off my marefriend, Sable! She’s trying, okay?! She’s been under a lot of pressure since getting those wings, so what if her songwriting’s a little sketchy?!”

“I’ll tell you so what!” Raven shouted. “If we blow this, the Dazzlings are gonna take control and maybe brainwash everyone into being their servants!”

“You think I don’t know that?!” Emerald yelled. “We’re doing the best we can here!”

“EVERYONE SHUT UP!” Vinyl roared. When there was silence, she began to speak again, in a quieter voice this time. “Raven, stop being so hard on Twilight. Emerald, excuse the pun, but try to rein in your temper a bit, okay? We don’t need both of you exploding at each other.”

“Yeah, okay,” said Emerald, reaching out to hug Raven. “Sorry.”

Raven returned the hug, smiling. “Don’t sweat it. I’m sorry too, to you and Twilight. I know this kind of thing can’t be easy.”

“Do we have a plan for tomorrow?” Octavia asked.

Raven nodded, “The way I see it, the best thing to do is compete in the Battle of the Bands for real. The rest of us can trade off lead vocals to buy Twilight time, and we stay alive until the finals. We unleash the counter-spell _then_!”

“Sounds good to me,” said Vinyl with a grin. “Let’s rock, girls.”

* * *

The day of the competition arrived. Due to the large number of bands competing, the ceremonies began at 9 AM on that Saturday in Canterlot High’s gymnasium. The bleachers were packed with students, while Celestia and Luna sat at a folding table acting as judges. Things got off to an unambitious start with an abysmal rap performance from Snips and Snails, who were eliminated almost immediately after leaving the stage.

The Wondercolts went on stage as the last act before lunch, deciding by mutual agreement to perform a cheerful pop song to lighten the tense mood pervading the auditorium.

As they got ready to play, Twilight offered a few words of advice to her friends before returning to work on her counter-spell. “Remember, you have to be good enough to make it through but not _so_ good that you let the sirens see the magic within you. They could realize you plan to use it against them.”

  
Raven nodded, "Got it! Be cool enough to win, but not _so_ cool that we end up showing off the whole ears and tails and rainbows thing. I think we can do that.” She smiled at her bandmates. “Ready, girls?”

“Ready!” the others said in unison. The curtain opened, Vinyl counted down, and they began to [play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJnYZskgzkg).

> _We've just got the day to get ready_
> 
> _And there's only so much time to lose_
> 
> _Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party_
> 
> _So let's think of something fun to do_
> 
> _We don't know (we don't know) what's gonna happen_
> 
> _We just know (we just know) it's gonna feel right_
> 
> _All our friends are here_
> 
> _And it's time to ignite the lights!_
> 
> _Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_
> 
> _Shake your tail, shake your tail_
> 
> _Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_
> 
> _Shake your tail, shake your tail_

“So what you didn't get it right the first time,” sang Twilight.

“Laugh it off, no one said it is a crime,” added Vinyl.

“Do your thing, you know you're an original,” put in Gem.

“Your ideas are so funny that they're criminal,” finished Emerald.

Then they all sang in unison again:

> _Ohhh-ahh!_
> 
> _We've just got the day to get ready_
> 
> _And there's only so much time to lose_
> 
> _Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party_
> 
> _So let's think of something fun to do_
> 
> _We don't know (we don't know) what's gonna happen_
> 
> _We just know (we just know) it's gonna feel right_
> 
> _All our friends are here_
> 
> _And it's time to ignite the lights!_
> 
> _Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_
> 
> _Shake your tail, shake your tail_
> 
> _Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_
> 
> _Shake your tail, shake your tail_
> 
> _Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_
> 
> _Shake your tail, shake your tail_
> 
> _Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_
> 
> _Shake your tail, shake your tail_
> 
> _Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight!_

But during the second pre-chorus, disaster struck. The six girls began to glow with magic and transform into ponies, ears and tails sprouting from seemingly nowhere, with fur coming next.

Panicking from her position backstage, Sunset didn’t think, she only reacted. She dove for Raven, tackling her to the ground. Raven fell over, knocking Gem’s keyboard from its stand and sending it flying into her. Gem tried to duck out of the way, but the keyboard careening into her caused her to get knocked into Octavia, whose bass went flying, missing Vinyl by inches.

“Sunset, what the hell?!” shouted Raven as the lights came up, her pony features fading. “You nearly broke half our instruments!”

“You were showing them your magic!” Sunset exclaimed. “I-I didn't know what else to do!”

“Close the curtains? Unplug her amp? Give us a chance to deal with the situation?” Gem asked icily, her eyes narrowed as she glared at the redhead.

“You were all changing, I had to think fast!” Sunset replied. “I'm sorry, I just wanted to help!”

“Well, you didn’t,” Emerald shot back, stalking off stage. The rest of the girls recovered their instruments and made a quick exit, leaving Sunset alone as the rest of the crowd went to lunch. Students jeered and shouted hurtful things at her as they passed by, including statements like “Now _that's_ the bad girl we love to hate!” and “I knew she was still trouble!” plus “The _real_ Sunset Shimmer is back!”

Sunset ran from the gym and into the halls, completely lacking an appetite. Seeking shelter in a darkened hallway, she leaned against a locker and began to cry quietly, feeling utterly alone.

But then she heard the sound of the sirens vocalizing, and in came Adagio and her sisters, smirking. “Well, well, well… if it isn’t Canterlot High’s disgraced queen bee,” Adagio said, her hands on her hips as she looked down at Sunset.

“You… you know about that?” Sunset asked in a small voice.

Adagio nodded. “Oh, we know all about you, Sunset Shimmer. You've got quite the reputation at Canterlot High.” Her smirk grew wider. “And that little stunt of yours in the gym isn’t doing you any favors either.”

“I've changed! I'm in a much better place now!” Sunset shot back.

“Oh yeah?” asked Aria. “Waiting in the wings while your friends have all the fun?”

“Oh, yes, you girls are _so_ tight,” purred Adagio. “And yet... they didn't ask you to be in the band.”

“Probably afraid no one would want to see them play if _she_ was in the group,” agreed Aria.

“Too bad! So sad!” chipped in Sonata.

“If it's any consolation, no one is going to remember you at all by the time we're done,” Adagio said. “It seems like you already know _all_ about us, so I’m going to let you in on a little secret.” She leaned in close. “The moment our magic has been restored and we’ve been returned to our true bodies, we’re not just going to make this pathetic little inter dimensional backwater our personal fiefdom. We’re going back to Equestria, and we’ll do what you _failed_ to do during the Formal.”

“You’ll never get anywhere near Equestria,” Sunset said fiercely. “Not if my friends and I have anything to do with it!”

Adagio chuckled darkly. “Oh yes, you and your ‘friends…’ The most pathetic bunch of useless bipeds there ever was. Not that you can really call them friends anymore.” She bared her teeth, the smile fading and changing into a grimace. “If you think the magic of friendship is going to protect you, you are _sorely_ mistaken, little pony. The Wondercolts are just as capable of falling apart as anyone else, and one way or the other, they’ll all be under our spell.” She turned on her heel and left, her evil laughter echoing off the lockers.

* * *

After lunch came the semi-finals. By this point, most of the bands had been eliminated from contention, with only three remaining: the Wondercolts, the Dazzlings, and Trixie and the Illusions. The finals themselves would be held on Sunday night at the Canterlot Bowl, a venue similar to that of the Applewood Bowl, only saddle-shaped.

Inside the gym, the mood was tense as the crowd waited for Trixie’s band to take the stage. Backstage, the Wondercolts were in the green room, pointedly ignoring Sunset after the disruption from earlier. (It was actually a teacher’s lounge that the students were permitted to use for the event.)

“How’s the counter spell going, Sparks?” Emerald asked, sitting beside Twilight on one of the green room’s couches.

“Better,” Twilight replied. “It should be ready in time for tomorrow night.”

“Assuming there _is_ a tomorrow night,” said Raven, glaring at Sunset, who sat alone on a chair, nursing a Dr. Pepper. (Little did she know the Dazzlings had already planned on manipulating the entire competition.)

“I’m sure we’ll get there, dear heart,” said Gem, squeezing Raven’s hand. “We wouldn’t have transformed if we weren’t all talented musicians.”

“At least someone can be optimistic,” Vinyl said with a sigh.

Back on the stage, Trixie’s band ran through their [number](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OdibuqE7wk), an egotistical tune Trixie wrote expressing how great and powerful she was:

> _Ya better believe_
> 
> _I got tricks up my sleeve_
> 
> _And I captivate_
> 
> _'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat_
> 
> _Ya better believe_
> 
> _I got tricks up my sleeve_
> 
> _See me dominate_
> 
> _'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat_
> 
> _You think you've got what it takes to go toe to toe?_
> 
> _I've got more moves than you'll ever know_
> 
> _I own the stage, I'm all the rage_
> 
> _You're from the past, I'm from the Space Age_
> 
> _Come on, you're just making noise_
> 
> _Listen how my music destroys_
> 
> _Anything you throw at me_
> 
> _I'm gonna throw back, just wait and see-ee_
> 
> _Ya better believe_
> 
> _I got tricks up my sleeve_
> 
> _And I captivate_
> 
> _'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat_
> 
> _Ya better believe_
> 
> _I got tricks up my sleeve_
> 
> _See me dominate_
> 
> _'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat_
> 
> _I'm here to take you down a peg_
> 
> _Oh, whoa, oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh_
> 
> _By the time I'm done, you're gonna beg_
> 
> _Oh, whoa, oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh_
> 
> _To be in my band, application rejected!_
> 
> _Don't look so sad and so dejected_
> 
> _Don't mean to brag, don't mean to boast_
> 
> _But I'm a six-course meal and you're just burnt toast_
> 
> _Think I'm gonna ever give up?_
> 
> _No, never, ever, ever, ever!_
> 
> _Come on, you're just making noise_
> 
> _Listen how my music destroys_
> 
> _Anything you throw at me_
> 
> _I'm gonna throw back, just wait and see-ee_
> 
> _Ya better believe_
> 
> _I got tricks up my sleeve_
> 
> _And I captivate_
> 
> _'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat_
> 
> _Ya better believe_
> 
> _I got tricks up my sleeve_
> 
> _See me dominate_
> 
> _'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat!_

As her song finished to a smattering of applause, the Dazzlings went up next. A pre-recorded backing track began to play from the gym speakers as they started to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neb6aWzfzHM), all three wearing wireless microphones that didn’t impede movement.

> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _You didn't know that you fell_
> 
> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Now that you're under our spell_
> 
> _Blindsided by the beat_
> 
> _Clapping your hands, stomping your feet_
> 
> _You didn't know that you fell_
> 
> _Now you've fallen under our spell_
> 
> _We've got the music, makes you move it_
> 
> _Got the song that makes you lose it_
> 
> _We say "jump", you say "how high?"_
> 
> _Put your hands up to the sky_
> 
> _We've got the music, makes you move it_
> 
> _Got the song that makes you lose it_
> 
> _We say "jump", you say "how high?"_
> 
> _Put your hands up to the sky_
> 
> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _You didn't know that you fell_
> 
> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Now that you're under our spell_
> 
> _Listen to the sound of my voice_
> 
> _Soon you'll find you don't have a choice_
> 
> _Captured in the web of my song_
> 
> _Soon you'll all be singing along_
> 
> _We've got the music, makes you move it_
> 
> _Got the song that makes you lose it_
> 
> _We say "jump", you say "how high?"_
> 
> _Put your hands up to the sky_
> 
> _We've got the music, makes you move it_
> 
> _Got the song that makes you lose it_
> 
> _We say "jump", you say "how high?"_
> 
> _Put your hands up to the sky_
> 
> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _You didn't know that you fell_
> 
> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Now that you're under our spell_
> 
> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _You didn't know that you fell_
> 
> _Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Now that you're under our_
> 
> _Spell_

The students swayed in time to the beat, an eerie green glow as the magical hypnosis they’d been placed under grew stronger. Not even the principals were immune, Luna drew a heart on her ballot rather than a number. When the song ended, the audience clapped and applauded and chanted the Dazzlings’ name.

Emerald groaned as she and the rest of the group headed to the stage amidst a chorus of boos as Principal Celestia announced they were up next. (Twilight and Sunset stayed behind in the green room to finish the counter-spell.) “Ugh… this is going to be a disaster…”

“At least Trixie’s certain not to go on,” Octavia observed. “She went over about as well as Snips and Snails.”

“At least Trixie had talent,” Vinyl pointed out. “It’s just outweighed by her ego.”

“See you tomorrow, Wondercolts,” purred Adagio, as the Dazzlings went in the opposite direction.

Raven froze. “What do you mean, see you tomorrow?” she asked Adagio.

Adagio chuckled and stroked Raven’s cheek, earning a glare from Gem, which she ignored. “Why, you don’t really think we’d play fair, do you?” she said. “You girls were selected as the group to face us in the finals from the very beginning, the rest of the contest was a formality.”

“This entire thing was rigged?!” Emerald exclaimed. “I can’t believe it!”

“Believe it,” Adagio replied. “So relax… you’ll still win, no matter how poorly you play.” She chuckled deviously as she walked off toward the green room, Aria and Sonata in her wake.

“That bitch,” Raven snarled. “We’d better bust their asses tomorrow, or I’ll never be able to live with myself.” Then the curtain drew back, and they launched into their semi-final [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVk6pbRAE4):

> _When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide_
> 
> _Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride_
> 
> _'Till I get to the bottom and I see you again!_
> 
> _Yeah, yeah, yeah!_
> 
> _Do you, don't you want me to love you?_
> 
> _I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you_
> 
> _Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer!_
> 
> _You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer_
> 
> _Look out!_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _Will you, won't you want me to make you?_
> 
> _I'm coming down fast, but don't let me break you_
> 
> _Tell me, tell me, tell me, baby, tell me the answer!_
> 
> _You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide_
> 
> _And I stop and I turn and I go for a ride_
> 
> _And I get to the bottom and I see you again!_
> 
> _Yeah, yeah, yeah!_
> 
> _Well do you, don't you want me to make you?_
> 
> _I'm coming down fast, but don't let me break you_
> 
> _Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer!_
> 
> _You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer_
> 
> _Look out!_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _Helter skelter_
> 
> _Helter skelter_

Unlike the song they’d played earlier, there was no danger of transformation this time, so saturated were they with anger and frustration. Watching from the bleachers, the Dazzlings soaked in this negative energy, pleased at what they’d been able to accomplish.

The curtain drew closed to the sound of reluctant applause. When it had faded, Celestia spoke into the microphone one last time: “The band that will be joining the Dazzlings in tonight's finals is... The Wondercolts! Congratulations, girls. You deserve it.”

“The hell we do,” Raven grumbled. The boos and jeers began again and they beat a hasty retreat.

* * *

With the finals not taking place until nightfall, the Wondercolts spent the morning and afternoon rehearsing Twilight’s new and improved counter-spell, but there was still a problem: no matter how earnestly they tried to play, the magic refused to work, they remained entirely human.

“I don’t get it!” Raven shouted, stomping her feet in frustration. “Why isn’t this working?!”

“I think I know why,” said Sunset, speaking for the first time since yesterday. “It’s because we’re not acting like friends anymore. The magic of friendship only works when all of us are united, and the Dazzlings have been getting under our skins ever since they got here. I never said anything 'cause I didn't feel like it was my place. Not when I was so new to this whole "friendship" thing. But I do know that by staying divided like we have been, the magic of friendship can be turned into something else.”

“I can't believe all this tension was happening right under my nose and I didn't realize it,” Twilight said from her corner. “I’m supposed to be the one with all the answers. And all I've done since I got here is let you down.”

“I don't think anyone is supposed to have _all_ the answers,” Sunset replied. “But you _can_ count on your friends to help you find them.”

“Well, before we try again, I got something to say,” said Raven, approaching Sunset. “I’m sorry I blew up at you over yesterday. You were only doing what you thought was right.”

“And I’m sorry we treated you so poorly afterward,” Gem added, smiling apologetically at Sunset. “Can you forgive us?”

Sunset smiled. “I already have.”

“Now that’s settled,” said Vinyl from behind her drum kit, “I think it’s time to prove we've still got the magic of friendship inside us!”

“Which version of the counter-spell are we going to play tonight?” asked Octavia.

“I don't think it matters _what_ song we play, as long as we play it together as friends,” said Twilight, stepping up to the microphone. “Let’s do one more rehearsal, and save the spell for the finals.”

“Sounds good to me,” Emerald said with a grin. “I got just the thing! [1, 2, 3, 4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOcgUO8SxTk)!”

> _There was a time we were apart_
> 
> _But that's behind us now_
> 
> _See how we've made a brand new start_
> 
> _And the future's lookin' up, ah-oh, ah-oh_
> 
> _And when you walk these halls_
> 
> _You feel it everywhere_
> 
> _Yeah, we're the Wondercolts forever, ah-oh, yeah!_
> 
> _We are all together_
> 
> _(Ah, ah, oh-oh-oh-oh)_
> 
> _Now it's better than ever_
> 
> _(Ah, ah, oh-oh-oh-oh)_
> 
> _You can feel it, we are back (You... can... feel... it...)_
> 
> _And I'm so glad that we're better_
> 
> _Better than ever_
> 
> _Whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Oh yeah, we're better than ever_
> 
> _Whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_

“There was a time we couldn't see past the differences,” sang Raven.

“That separated you and me, and it left us on our own,” added Emerald.

“But now you walk these halls, and friends are everywhere,” Vinyl threw in.

Then, all together:

> _Yeah, we're the Wondercolts forever, ah-oh, yeah!_
> 
> _We are all together_
> 
> _(Ah, ah, oh-oh-oh-oh)_
> 
> _Now it's better than ever_
> 
> _(Ah, ah, oh-oh-oh-oh)_
> 
> _Now that we are back on track (Now... that... we... are...)_
> 
> _Yes, I'm so glad that we're better_
> 
> _Better than ever_
> 
> _Whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Oh yeah, we're better than ever_
> 
> _Whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Oh yeah, we're better than ever_
> 
> _Whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _Oh yeah, we're better than ever!_
> 
> And this time, they did pony up after all.

***

The Canterlot Bowl was packed as the final of the Battle of the Bands began. Most of the crowd was there to see the Dazzlings, who would be performing first. As a [backing track](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQOuuNW4n7A) boomed through the stadium’s sound system, the three sirens (dressed in new outfits just for the occasion) began to sing their third and final song:

> _Welcome to the show_
> 
> _We're here to let you know_
> 
> _Our time is now_
> 
> _Your time is running out_
> 
> _Feel the wave of sound_
> 
> _As it crashes down_
> 
> _You can't turn away_
> 
> _We'll make you wanna sta-a-a-ay_
> 
> _We will be adored_
> 
> _Tell us that you want us_
> 
> _We won't be ignored_
> 
> _It's time for our reward_
> 
> _Now you need us_
> 
> _Come and heed us_
> 
> _Nothing can stop us now!_

With their magical powers the strongest they’d been in centuries, the three of them began a terrifying transformation of their own. Transparent draconic wings formed on their backs, their skin hardened into shimmering scales, their legs fused together to form fish-like tails, and their noses and mouths pushed out into draconic muzzles, while their ears moved to the tops of their heads and their hands became more like webbed fins. Suddenly, they were no longer human, but the aquatic creatures they had been in Equestria.

If the humans in the audience hadn’t been so thoroughly brainwashed, they might’ve screamed at the sight, but they barely reacted, swaying to the music and cheering instead. The Dazzlings, it seemed, were victorious.

But then on a nearby hill, a white car with blue and purple accents drove up, and six teenage girls piled out of it, all except Vinyl, who pressed a button on the dashboard, transforming the car into a DJ stand. Wearing colorful new outfits of their own, the six Wondercolts began a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-erWXrMv68) of their own, interrupting the Dazzlings and changing immediately into their pony forms:

> _Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh_
> 
> _I've got the music in me_
> 
> _Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh_

“Don't need to hear a crowd, cheering out my name,” sang Twilight. “I didn't come here seeking infamy or fame.”

> _The one and only thing_
> 
> _That I am here to bring_
> 
> _Is music, is the music_
> 
> _Is the music in my soul_
> 
> _Gonna break out (Out!)_
> 
> _Set myself free, yeah_
> 
> _Let it all go (Go!)_
> 
> _Just let it be, yeah_
> 
> _Find the music in your heart_
> 
> _Let the music make you start_
> 
> _To set yourself apart_

But the Dazzlings weren’t having any of it. “So the Wondercolts want to turn this into a _real_ Battle of the Bands?” Adagio snarled. “Then let's battle!”

> _What we have in store (ah-ah)_
> 
> _All we want and more (ah-ah)_
> 
> _We will break on through (ah-ah)_
> 
> _Now it's time to finish you!_

“PLAY FOR YOUR LIVES!” Raven shouted, as the three nightmarish sea-monsters somehow flew through the air, singing angrily and wordlessly like enraged opera singers. The Wondercolts returned fire as best they could with Twilight singing lead, but it didn’t seem to be enough. With one final burst of vocals, Twilight lost her grip on the mic, sending it into the air to land at Sunset’s feet. The six of them crumpled to the ground, brought low by the force of the Dazzlings’ dark magic. They had been defeated.

There was a brief silence. A wind blew as Sunset picked up the mic, unsure of what to do. Who was she, against three immortal creatures who were so close to winning?

“Sunset… please… we need you…” said Twilight, reaching her hand out toward the amber-skinned girl.

Sunset made her decision. Scrounging together all of her courage, she threw off her jacket and held the mic tight. “Vinyl… give me a beat.”

Vinyl did so, and Sunset began to sing, glaring up at the three sirens. “You're never gonna bring me down, you’re never gonna break this part of me! My friends are here to bring me ‘round, not singing just for popularity!”

As she sang, Sunset began a transformation of her own, swiftly morphing not into a demon, but a humanoid unicorn pony. Taking Twilight’s hand in hers, Sunset helped the alicorn to stand, and the rest of the group did likewise, joining in with Sunset’s song:

> _We're here to let you know_
> 
> _That we won't let it go_
> 
> _Our music is a bomb and it's about to blow_
> 
> _And you can try to fight_
> 
> _But we have got the light of_
> 
> _Friendship on our side!_
> 
> _Got the music in our hearts_
> 
> _We're here to blow this thing apart_
> 
> _And together, we will never_
> 
> _Be afraid of the dark_
> 
> _Here to sing our song out loud_
> 
> _Get you dancing with the crowd_
> 
> _As the music of our friendship_
> 
> _Survives, survives!_
> 
> _Got the music in our hearts_
> 
> _We're here to blow this thing apart_
> 
> _And together, we will never_
> 
> _Be afraid of the dark_
> 
> _Here to sing our song out loud_
> 
> _Get you dancing with the crowd_
> 
> _As the music of our friendship_
> 
> _Survives, survives, survives!_

As the song echoed around the stadium, magical waves flew out from the hill, crashing right into the Dazzlings and sending them flying into the back of the stage, transformed into humans once again. The necklaces they’d used to feed were smashed to bits, utterly beyond repair, and freeing those who’d been brainwashed once and for all. They tried to sing again, but without the magic, their vocals were off-key and discordant. As the crowd booed, they ran off into the night.

With the battle over, the crowd dispersed. Now changed back into humans themselves, the Wondercolts climbed up onto the stage to find only shattered rubies and splattered fruits. Sunset picked up a shard, careful not to cut herself. “It’s over… it’s really over…”

Twilight nodded, “Without those pendants and the magic you brought here from Equestria, they're just three harmless teenage girls.”

“Do you think we’ll ever see them again?” Gem wondered, looking to the alicorn.

“I can’t say,” admitted Twilight. “I don’t think so though.”

“Well, I think it’s safe to say that were it not for you,” began Octavia, “We would never have beaten them.” She adjusted her pink bow tie, and curtsied. “Thank you, Princess.”

Twilight smiled. “Actually? I think you girls would’ve been able to pull this off all by yourselves. You didn’t need me after all.” She hugged each of them in turn, then said, “I think I can stay one more day before going home… it’d be nice to see what this world has to offer without a crisis to solve.”

Sunset smiled back. “Good thing tomorrow’s a staff development day. We can go to the mall, do some shopping, maybe catch a movie or two… how does that sound?”

Emerald grinned. “Buck yeah. Count me in!”

“In that case, let’s hurry home,” said Gem happily. “We’ll need our beauty rest for tomorrow!” And with that, the seven friends headed off to Vinyl’s car for the ride back.

* * *

The next afternoon, Twilight and Emerald went back to the Wondercolt statue, having spent a happy day shopping for souvenirs and catching a movie too.

“Sure wish you could stay longer,” said Vinyl, as the seven of them trooped up to the portal together.

“Me too,” admitted Twilight. “But Emerald and I have responsibilities in Equestria that we have to get back to. Its citizens need us.” She smiled. “But remember, now we can go through the portal whenever we need to. This isn't goodbye. It's just goodbye 'til next time.” She hugged each of them one last time before turning to Emerald. “Ready, Emmy?”

“Ready, Sparks,” Emerald said with a grin. And, holding hands, the two of them walked together through the portal and out of sight.

* * *

**_Canterlot Bowl, One Week Later_ **

As her friends set up their instruments for rehearsals for their first real concert, Sunset sat on the stage, leaning against an amplifier as she wrote in her old journal.

> _Dear Princess Twilight,_
> 
> _Missing you already, and I hope you'll be back soon. Things are definitely looking up for me here at Canterlot High. But I know I still have a lot to learn about friendship. Hope you don't mind if I write to you for advice when I need it._
> 
> _Your friend, Sunset Shimmer._

“Hey, Sunny!” Raven called. “You ready or what?”

“Ready!” Sunset said with a grin, grabbing her guitar and going to join the others. Vinyl counted them down, and the six friends began to play a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTnXooBhJ0k) they’d written together:

“Once upon a time,” sang Raven, "You came into my world and made the stars align.”

“Now I can see the signs,” sang Gem and Octavia together, “You pick me up when I get down so I can shine!”

Then, together: “Shine like rainbows… Shine like rainbows…”

“Friends, you are in my life,” continued Raven, “And you can count on me to be there by your side.”

“And when the music comes alive,” added Sunset, “We sing our songs to lift us up so we can shine!”

Then:

> _And the sound that we hear in our hearts_
> 
> _Makes a crescendo_
> 
> _And the light that ignites in the dark_
> 
> _It makes us all glow_
> 
> _And shine like rainbows_
> 
> _We shine like rainbows_
> 
> _Together we stand_
> 
> _As the rain begins to fall_
> 
> _And holding our heads up high_
> 
> _As the sun shines through it all_
> 
> _And the sound that we hear in our hearts_
> 
> _Makes a crescendo_
> 
> _And the light that ignites in the dark_
> 
> _It makes us all glow_
> 
> _And shine like rainbows_
> 
> _We shine like rainbows_
> 
> _Shine like rainbows_
> 
> _We shine like rainbows_
> 
> _We shine like rainbows_

* * *

In a laboratory on the far side of Canterlot, a girl with lavender-colored skin and blue hair streaked with purple and pink pinned another print-out to a [pinboard](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/4/43/Twilight_looking_at_the_pinboard_EG2.png/revision/latest?cb=20141028103249)containing her findings. A strange form of energy she couldn’t identify had been picked up on her equipment a month previous, and she’d spent the rest of that time trying to figure out what it was, and where it came from. In the last 24 hours, there’d been an enormous spike in her readings, and she now had cause to believe it was spreading throughout the entire city, rather than just the region near CHS.

Once the paper was pinned to the board, the girl stood back to look at it in context. She wore a white lab coat and a blue turtleneck sweater, and especially thick black rectangular glasses. She nodded once. “No doubt about it, Emmy. There's definitely something strange going on at that school.”

The yellow-skinned girl with curly brown hair nodded in agreement. “So Sparks, what are you gonna do tonight?”

“The same thing I’ve been doing every night, Emerald,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Try to solve this mystery.”


	6. The Lesbian Romance Hypothesis

On the other side of Canterlot, far away from CHS, there lived a girl named Twilight Sparkle. She had lavender-colored skin with deep violet eyes and blue hair streaked with purple and pink, and lived with her parents in one of Inner Canterlot’s wealthier districts.

Twilight was, by all measures, an absolute child prodigy. She became interested in science almost as soon as she learned to walk, and that by itself had happened much earlier than was typical for girls her age. At the age of six, she took apart and reassembled a landline phone, and then won the Canterlot Elementary Science Fair every year in a row before going to do the same at the middle school level. She was taking advanced placement classes in sixth grade, and college prep courses in ninth.

By eleventh grade, Twilight was receiving acceptance letters from almost every Ivy League school on the east coast, as well as the Maressachusetts Institute of Technology. All she had to do to ensure her success as an adult was say yes, though she’d deferred, saying she wanted to wait until after her senior year at Crystal Prep to make a decision.

The truth though was that despite her success, Twilight was not happy. School had been a miserable experience for her, as she had been bullied almost as soon as she’d entered first grade. After spending the bulk of her education in public school, her parents enrolled her at Crystal Prep in the hopes of curbing the bullying, but it didn’t seem to work. If anything, Twilight was being bullied worse than ever, her successful academic achievements notwithstanding.

Her only saving grace (and the only friend she had) was Emerald Wave. Thanks to Twilight skipping a grade, Emerald was a little older than Twilight in age, and had been the target of bullies herself due to being transgender. Her mothers, Ace and Mags, had accepted her as soon as she’d told them, but the same couldn’t be said for her classmates. Emerald got into fights so often that she’d had to repeat a grade as a result.

Like Twilight’s parents, they’d sent their daughter to CPA in the hopes of getting the bullying to stop, but it didn’t work for them either. The upshot was, it brought two girls from opposite sides of the socio-economic spectrum together…

* * *

Twilight’s first day at Crystal Prep had not been going very well. After being dropped off at the front gates by her brother, Shining Armor, on his way to work at the Canterlot Police Department, she’d been given a quick tour by Cadance Mi Amore Cadenza, the school’s dean (and her former babysitter). Classes had gone fine, she’d answered every question the teachers had asked her, but she’d earned several glares from the rest of her classmates as a result.

Now, she was in line at Crystal Prep’s cafeteria. Being a private school, CPA was exempt from the nutritional guidelines imposed by the national government on public schools, so students there ate food that was equivalent to that served on college campuses. Even the layout was similar to a college campus cafeteria, with several stations for different types of dishes, with everything from comfort foods and grilled favorites to sub sandwiches, vegetarian and vegan options, and a station serving dishes from around the world.

Today, Twilight stood in the line for drinks, holding a plate containing a Monterey black bean burger with onion rings. Ahead of her was a girl with yellow skin and curly brown hair.

“Well, well, well,” said a voice from behind Twilight. “If it isn’t CPA’s newest egghead.” Twilight turned to find a girl with light blue skin and rainbow-colored hair looking down at her, smirking. “What’s your name, Smarty Pants?”

“Oh, uh, Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight, turning around again as the line moved ahead. She reached out to get a glass, but the rainbow-haired girl stepped out in front, blocking her.

“Twilight Sparkle, huh? What kind of a name is that?” asked the girl. “Sounds like something out of a lame romance series like the ones Rarity reads.” She rolled her eyes. “But anyway, I heard what you were like in science class today, talking about interphase and junk like that.” She frowned. “Think you’re smart, Sparkle? Well, I got news for you: you aren’t!” She brought up a fist. “In fact, I’m gonna show you exactly what us Shadowbolts do to showoffs like you! Think of it as a welcome present!”

And then, the girl drew back her fist and punched Twilight hard in the face, causing her to fall and drop her tray. Food crashed to the floor and she slipped on her burger, sending her flying into a stand filled with bags of chips, which fell around her as she laid there, too shocked and frightened to move. But the worst thing of all was the applause she heard as the rest of the students clapped and cheered.  
  
Rainbow took a few bows. “Thank you, thank you! I’ll be here all week!” she said, making to go over to a table where four other girls sat, but before she could move an inch, the curly-haired yellow girl Twilight had seen grabbed Rainbow by the shoulders and punched her too, sending her sprawling.

Everyone gasped. No one had ever punched Rainbow Dash before. There was a creaking noise as the crowd collectively leaned forward on their chairs to watch.

Rainbow looked up, her cheek already starting to swell from the punch. “Okay, who the hell…” she paused, looking at Emerald for the first time. “Oh, duh. Of course it’d be the he-she. What a surprise.”

“Call me a he-she again and I’ll do a lot more damage, Rainbow Crash,” the yellow girl said, helping Twilight to her feet. The young scientist’s glasses were twisted and cracked, and her nose was bleeding, staining her [uniform](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3e/a6/03/3ea603a206e5bef6c49fd1f28605ff46.png) with blood. Her eye was starting to bruise too.

“I’ll get you for that, Wave!” said Rainbow, getting up and heading back to her table, her face almost purple with fury. “Maybe not today, but keep a look out! You’re not safe from me!”

As Dash stalked off, Emerald started to walk Twilight out of the cafeteria, frowning. “Come on, let’s get you to the nurse… Looks like Dash gave you one hell of a black eye.”

“Who are you?” Twilight asked, before she could stop herself. “I’ve never had anyone stick up for me before…”

The girl smiled. “I’m Emerald Wave. Dash has been bugging me since freshman year, so we kind of have a history. Nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“You too,” said Twilight automatically. “I mean, that is, it’s nice to meet you too, Emerald Wave. Sorry, I get like that sometimes.”

Emerald giggled, “Don’t sweat it, it’s cute.”

They walked through the halls together, each girl lost in her own thoughts, when suddenly Twilight spoke up again. “Emerald… how old are you? I’m 15.”

“16,” Emerald replied. “I just got held back a year for fighting. You?”

“I skipped a grade because of my advanced intellect,” Twilight replied.

Emerald chuckled. “Looks like we’re pretty evenly matched then,” she observed. Arriving at the nurse’s office, she opened the door and held it for Twilight. “Ms. Redheart? We need your help!”

“I’ll say you do,” said the white-skinned woman with pale pink hair in a nurse’s outfit. “Goodness gracious, what happened to you, Ms. Sparkle?”

“Rainbow Dash happened,” said Emerald, as though it had explained everything.

That seemed to be good enough for Nurse Redheart. “Say no more, Ms. Wave. Twilight, go sit down on a bed and I’ll look you over. Ms. Wave, you’re free to go.”

“Actually, ma’am,” said Emerald, “I’d kinda like to stick around. To keep Twilight company.”

Redheart nodded. “Very well. Dean Cadance will want to speak with both of you anyway.” Once she’d examined Twilight and patched her up, the two girls were off toward the third floor of the school, where the administration offices were.

* * *

Twilight knocked on the door of the dean’s office, looking nervous. “Dean Cadance? It’s Twilight… Nurse Redheart sent me here.”

“Come on in, Twilight,” came Cadance’s voice. Twilight opened the door and walked inside, sitting at a chair in front of the dean’s desk.

[Dean Cadance](https://bit.ly/2TU4zP8) was relatively short compared to the tall and angular Abacus Cinch, about as tall as Vice Principal Luna at CHS. She had pink skin with purple, yellow, and pink streaked curly hair. Her eyes were purple, and she always wore a teal suit jacket with a pale blue dress shirt and a green skirt with gold heels. She’d known Twilight ever since she was little, and married her brother Shining as soon as he’d graduated from police academy, making her Twilight’s sister-in-law.

“Nurse Redheart told me what happened at lunch,” said Cadance, getting up to give Twilight a hug. “Usually our official policy is zero tolerance, but I know you’d never harm a fly. Don’t worry, you won’t be punished.”

“That’s good,” said Twilight, returning the hug. “Cady… what am I going to tell my parents?”

“The truth, Twily,” Cadance replied. “But don’t worry. I’ll see if Principal Cinch can have Rainbow and her group kept away from you.” She turned to Emerald. “Nurse Redheart says you came to Twilight’s defense. Is that true?”

Emerald nodded. “Yup. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat, Dean Cadance. Just because Dash has made my life a living hell doesn’t mean she gets to do that with anyone else.”

Cadance smiled in spite of herself. “That’s very noble of you, Ms. Wave. And I have to thank you. Twilight’s family have been concerned about her well-being for a long time, I’m glad she seems to have finally made a friend.”

Emerald smiled back, locking eyes with Twilight. “Yeah, I’d definitely say we’re friends. How about it, Sparks?”

Twilight blushed. “I… yeah. I think you’re my friend, if you’re giving me a nickname.”

Emerald laughed a bit. “Awesome.” She turned back to Cadance. “Lemme guess… the usual two week suspension?”

Cadance nodded. “And so early into the school year too… maybe Abacus will let me get Ms. Dash’s group away from both of you.”

Emerald blinked. “You’re not sure she will?”

Cadance shook her head. “The families of the Rainbooms are part of our board of governors, Ms. Wave… they’ve never listened to me whenever I’ve mentioned their bullying tactics, but maybe they’ll listen to Abacus… assuming Abacus takes my concerns into consideration.” She sighed. “Abacus made CPA what it is today… I fear she may be more willing to let bullying slide than I’d like to admit, if it means the reputation can be upheld.” She shook her head. “Anyway, thank you for coming to Twilight’s help, Emerald. I hope you won’t need to again.”

“But if I do, I’ll do it without hesitation,” Emerald replied. “Am I free?”

Cadance nodded, and both girls left the office.

* * *

When the final bell rang at 2 PM, Twilight and Emerald just managed to miss each other as they headed off to their respective homes. Twilight lived on Starswirl Road, named for one of the city’s famous sons. It was a _very_ wealthy area, with the average price of a home sitting at around $900,000.

Currently, Twilight was being driven home by her mother, [Twilight Velvet](https://bit.ly/2XmjgfT). (Though everyone referred to her by her last name, so as to avoid confusion.) Velvet had light grey skin with purple and white-striped hair and blue eyes, and she wore a purple suit jacket with a white turtleneck sweater and a purple skirt. Her favorite past time, without question, was playfully embarrassing her children.

“How was school today, Twilight?” Velvet asked, looking at her daughter through the rear-view mirror.

“It was fine, Mom!” Twilight squeaked, tugging at her shirt collar nervously. She wondered how much Velvet had heard.

Velvet smirked at her daughter. “ _Just_ fine? Cady tells me you made a friend!”

Twilight groaned inwardly, she knew this would happen. “Yes, I made a friend… her name is Emerald Wave.”

Velvet’s smirk grew wider. “Ooh, _her_ , hm? Now that _is_ exciting! I can hear the wedding bells already!”

Twilight groaned aloud this time, “Mooooooom! We only just met, I barely know who she is!”

“Then how do you know she’s your friend?” Velvet asked, her eyebrow raising slightly.

“Because she rescued me from a bully, and said she’d do it again if she had to,” Twilight admitted.

Velvet nodded, and smiled. “That’s the mark of a true friend if I ever saw one.” She pulled into the driveway of the house. “Do you have homework today?”

Twilight nodded, “Only what I didn’t complete in class.” She climbed out of the car and headed inside. A purple and green furred puppy barked joyfully and leapt into her arms, licking her face repeatedly, which made her laugh. “Aw, hi Spike! I missed you too!”

“Go finish your homework Twilight, and I’ll have cookies in the oven when you come down,” Velvet said, kissing her daughter’s forehead.

“Extra dark chocolate chip?” Twilight asked hopefully.

Velvet nodded, “Extra dark chocolate chip.”

With that reassurance, Twilight headed upstairs to her [room](https://bit.ly/2AxinIM) and sat down at her desk to begin work.

Twilight’s room was a cozy place to be, and it definitely reflected the personality and interests of its occupant. The walls were blue while the ceiling was light purple with dark swirls painted around and around, making it look a bit like clouds. Above her bed was a model of the solar system, and beside that, a light fixture. There were drawers along the walls, bookshelves crammed into every conceivable space and filled with books, organized according to the Dewey Decimal System. One window served as a reading nook when it didn’t have a telescope sitting on top of the cushion, though there was a second nook just in front of her bed. Her desk was located in a corner of the room, made of dark wood with two computer monitors and a silver tower beneath, and a comfortable chair to sit in.

Twilight sat down and pressed the on button on her computer’s tower. As she waited for it to boot up, she took out her phone and decided to text Emerald. (They’d exchanged numbers earlier in the day.) Her lavender fingertips gently tapped the glass screen as she accessed the messenger app and began to type.

> _“Hello, Emerald. This is Twilight Sparkle speaking.”_
> 
> **“Hey there, Sparks. No need to sound so formal, we’re not in school, you know. :-)”**
> 
> _“Sorry, force of habit. I only really use my phone for contacting family. You’re the first non-familial contact on my list.”_
> 
> **“I am, huh? Well, color me honored. :-) What are you up to this afternoon?”**
> 
> _“Oh, just about to get started on today’s homework assignments. How about yourself?”_

At this moment, Twilight typed her account password into the little box, and in a few seconds, the generic image of some windows disappeared to be replaced by an image of Spike curled up in a laundry basket taking a nap, as he often did. She then opened up her web browser and logged into her account on the CPA website, allowing her in to an online portal where homework was assigned, and grades and other data was tracked.

Clicking on the assignments tab of the main page brought her to a column with today’s date on it, and a list of assignments given to her by her teachers. Most of them were already marked green to denote that it was complete, though a few others were marked yellow for in-progress, and one had no color assigned to it at all, indicating she hadn’t started yet.

Her phone buzzed, indicating Emerald had replied. She smiled and opened her computer’s messaging app, which would automatically sync her conversation with Emerald through the cloud to her desktop, her tablet, and her laptop. Reading Emerald’s message, she quickly typed out a response.

> **“Yeah, I’m about to start doing mine too. Good thing we have this web portal that keeps track of everything, huh?”**
> 
> _“Quite, it makes completing assignments much easier. And digital copies are better for the environment to boot, since no paper is used.”_
> 
> **“Yeah, that too. :-) Good luck w/ your H.W., Sparks. Ping me when you’re done!”**
> 
> _“Certainly. Good luck with yours too, Emerald.”_

After putting her computer in Do Not Disturb mode, she plugged her [earbuds](https://amzn.to/3eX5t5J) into the 3.5mm jack on the bottom of her phone and began to play a curated mix of instrumental acoustic songs, starting with one she especially liked called [_Crepuscularity_](https://youtu.be/H91QXNr41FM). Then, at last, she got to work.

* * *

For Emerald, her trip home went a little differently. As soon as school let out, she turned and walked in the opposite direction to Twilight, toward the part of Inner Canterlot where the less wealthy residents lived. It was a part of town most of the city’s residents tried to pretend didn’t exist. The houses were smaller, with only one story plus a basement. Usually, a girl like Emerald would never have been able to attend Crystal Prep in the first place, but she supposed having wealthy grandparents helped with that.

As she walked, she listened to her favored music: rock with distorted guitars and, depending on her mood, male or female vocalists. Today’s [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxq5I6fHym4) was from a band in Oatklahoma she was fond of, about a boy who falls in love with a controlling girl who ultimately betrays him.

After around 15 minutes, she arrived at a nondescript home with three windows visible from the front, a front door, and a garage door all in a row, with a small driveway. She headed up the drive and took off her own [headphones](https://amzn.to/2UfTbgJ), which had been a birthday gift, then opened the door, entering the house. “Moms! I’m back!”

A dog barked, and there was the sound of paws on wood as a grey and cream colored Husky with a blue collar around her neck came running up to greet her, licking Emerald’s face joyfully. Emerald beamed and nuzzled the dog, stroking her furry ears. “Hey, Catarrah,” she said, smiling. “I missed you too!”

“Hey hun,” said one of her moms, Mags. She had black hair cut short, and usually wore dark clothes with a crescent moon necklace, black nail polish, and eyeshadow, which provided quite a contrast to her pale blue skin. “How was school?”

“Well, I got suspended again,” said Emerald, shrugging as she rubbed Catarrah’s belly.

Mags laughed, “And on the first day! I’m impressed!” She grinned. “What was it for this time?”

“Defending Dash’s latest victim,” Emerald replied. “Her name’s Twilight Sparkle, and she looks like a total nerd… but a cute nerd.” She blushed slightly at the thought of the young bookish girl.

Mags caught it, and grinned wider. “You like her, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, Mom!” Emerald said, standing again. “I only just met her today!”

“Well, now you’ve got two weeks to sort out your feelings,” Mags replied. “Anyway, since this is a suspension and I’m contractually obligated to at least pretend to punish you, you know the rules.”

Emerald nodded, “No computer except for school work, no phone after 9 PM, and no dessert for the duration of the suspension.”

Mags nodded again and hugged her tight. “That’s my girl.”

As Emerald returned the hug, she asked: “Where’s Mom? I didn’t see her car in the driveway.”

“Studio session,” Mags answered. (Ace worked as the lead guitarist in a punk rock band of modest local success.) “She won’t be back ’til late, so you know what that means.” She grinned.

“Pizza and soda! Yes!” Emerald grinned back. “Cheese and pepperoni for me, please!”

“Consider it done,” Mags said. “I’ll call you when it gets here!” She left, and Emerald walked down the short hall into her bedroom.

Emerald’s room was much smaller than Twilight’s, painted light blue all the way around with wooden floors and white shelving along one wall, with a second shelf serving as a bedside table. (The shelves contained a great variety books, CDs, and assorted other knick-knacks.) There was one window, which looked out onto the front yard. Above the window was a string of white Christmas lights, which were always turned on. Below them and next to the window were four framed vinyl records. On the left side of the room was her closet and two guitars, one electric and the other acoustic, while on the right was her bed. She also had a black leather office chair with a white table, which she used as a desk for her laptop.

Emerald pressed a button on a small triangular Bluetooth [speaker](https://amzn.to/2UbxIph), which connected to her phone with a cheerful little musical chime. She then selected an [album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu30e4OrRAk) she liked to listen to when working, and quickly busied herself with homework, texting with Twilight as she did so.

* * *

Emerald and Twilight didn’t get to see too much of each other over the next few days because of Emerald’s suspension, though thanks to text messaging and video chats, they could at least stay in touch when Twilight wasn’t in class. Emerald kept herself busy working on homework and practicing her guitar, it was not uncommon for either of her moms to walk past her room and hear her play.

Twilight, meanwhile, spent her time out of school in what looked like an ordinary large garden shed, except by the door was a handprint reader that was coded to let in Twilight alone. This was her private laboratory, a place where she could work on whatever scientific projects she wanted, whenever she wanted, from chemistry to biology and everything in between.

Lately, Twilight had taken an interest in physics, and in particular various types of energy. To that end, she’d taken an old ham radio Shining had made when he was in school and turned it into a [device](https://bit.ly/2U5Jpgp) that could measure and scan for electromagnetic frequencies and would alert her in case it found something it didn’t recognize.

Usually she never received a notification, but today was different. One afternoon, her phone buzzed and informed her that there had been mysterious unknown energy spikes, followed by some GPS coordinates. Puzzled, Twilight fed the coordinates into her computer and furrowed her brow. “Strange… what possible energy forms could there be at Canterlot High?”

She straightened up, adjusting the lapels of the white lab coat she always wore when working. “I guess there’s only one thing to do, Spike,” she said to the purple dog. “I have to go to CHS and see what I can find out!” She swapped her lab coat for a nondescript hoodie, then took out her phone to send a quick text to Emerald.

> _“I’m going to Canterlot High School to see if I can figure out the source behind some odd disturbances in the local magnetic field. Would you like to come?”_
> 
> **“Of course I do, Sparks! Isn’t CHS on the other side of town though? How will you get there?”**
> 
> _“I’ll take the bus, I happen to have a pass that will let me board for free.”_
> 
> **“Sounds good to me, I didn’t think the buses went that far. Meet you at the corner of Meadowbrook and Clover?”**
> 
> _“That sounds perfect. See you there, Emmy.”_

And with that decided, Twilight grabbed her bus pass and hurried for the bus stop.

* * *

It took 20 minutes for Twilight and Emerald to get across town, but it was all the time Twilight needed to brief her friend on what she’d found. “This is a spectrometer,” she began. “I built it to track EM frequencies, though it can’t do anything with them other than send me notification to my phone in the event it picks up anything strange.”

Emerald nodded. “You mentioned disturbances in the magnetic field. Do you know what they are?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not yet, but with this, I should be able to extrapolate the waveforms to determine their origin. In layman’s terms, that means it should be able to tell me the source of the disruptions so I can name it, and identify a cause.” The bus slowed to a stop outside CHS. “The trail is already starting to fade, but there should still be enough for me to do an investigation.”

Twilight climbed off the bus and looked around, squinting as the late afternoon sun shone on the glass windows on the front of CHS’ main building. “Where could it be…” she whispered, turning around in a circle.

As she faced the Wondercolt statue, the meter on the device’s front suddenly shot into the red, surprising her. “What the… but it’s just a statue of a horse! This can’t be the disruption source!”

“You’re a poet and you don’t know it, Sparks,” Emerald teased, making Twilight blush. The two girls approached the statue warily, unsure of what they might find.

Frowning, Twilight made a few adjustments to the knobs and dials on her device to filter out everything except the unknown energy type, expecting the needle to go down into the green, but it stayed in the red. “Fascinating…” She looked to Emerald. “Emmy, put your hand on the plinth, please.”

Emerald nodded and placed her hand on a corner of the statue. She was about to say something along the lines of “Feels like a regular old statue to me,” when she jumped back, her eyes wide with shock. “Okay, what the hell? That statue feels _alive_. Like there’s something inside somehow.”

“Yes,” said Twilight, walking all the way around the base of the statue. The arrow on her device dipped back to green, then back to red as she approached the side that faced the front doors of the school. “I don’t think this is an ordinary statue, Emmy.” To prove her theory, she picked up a rock and tossed it toward the plinth. It didn’t hit, but rather it fell through one side, which rippled like water in a pond.

“This is beyond weird,” Emerald said, watching the ripples gradually recede. “What do we do now?”

“The only thing we can do now is keep an eye on the school for any further abnormalities,” Twilight replied. “My spectrometer will let us know in case anything else happens.”

Emerald blinked. “Us? Don’t you mean you?”

Twilight shook her head and gave the yellow girl a soft smile. “You’re the only person I’ve told about this project, aside from Spike. As far as I’m concerned, that makes you my partner in scientific discovery.”

Emerald blushed. “Once again, color me honored. Want me to text my moms and have them pick us up?”

“Please,” Twilight replied. “My parents don’t want me on the buses after dark.” As Emerald took out her phone and sent a quick text, the young scientist placed her free hand in one of Emerald’s, still smiling.

Emerald looked down. “Is this your way of saying you want to be partners in other ways too?”

“If that’s alright with you,” Twilight replied. “ _Is_ that okay? I mean, I’d understand if it wasn’t because the two of us both have a history of poor inter-personal relationships even though we’re both striving to improve them and-”

Emerald smiled and placed a kiss on Twilight’s cheek, stopping the flow of words. “Let’s see where this goes. It can be another experiment.”

“That sounds acceptable to me,” said Twilight. “I’ll even put it in my notebook.” She took out a small purple notebook with a pink star on the front cover, flipped to a clean page, and wrote _Experiment #042: The Lesbian Romance Hypothesis_.

Emerald giggled, peering over Twilight’s shoulder. “Awesome. Here’s to a successful experiment.” She squeezed Twilight’s hand, and she squeezed back in return.

* * *

“So, a girlfriend, huh?” said Shining Armor the following evening at dinner, giving his little sister a grin. “Congratulations, Twily.”

Twilight blushed, “Shining! We’re not technically girlfriends yet, we’ve barely passed the hypothesis stage! I still have to design an experiment for us to do together!”

“So, a date,” Shining replied. “Well, you could start with an O&O session. That was what Cady and I did for our first date.”

Cadance snickered, “I killed your mage, you goof. Ignore him, Twily. It’s important to take the interests of the other person in mind when planning a date. Do you know what her interests are?”

“I know she likes science fiction,” Twilight replied, between bites of the homemade burgers her dad had made. “So maybe I could show her some _Star Trot_ episodes.”

“Then in that case, you’ve gotta go with the original series,” Shining suggested. “I mean come on, it’s got Captain Grand Pear, Mr. Spock, _and_ Doctor McCoy! What more do you want?”

“I could do without the rampant sexism typical of 1960s popular culture,” Twilight replied, adjusting her glasses. “Next Geneighration would be a better choice. Or maybe Voyager, since it’s got Captain Janeneigh.”

“Whichever you choose, I’m sure Emerald will love the idea of spending more time with you,” Cadance said. “What day were you planning on having the date?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Twilight said. “Maybe Friday, since it’s a day off from school and we can spend the whole day together.”

“I think that sounds like a perfect idea,” said Cadance, smiling warmly. “You’ll have to tell me how it goes.”

“I will,” promised Twilight. “I think Emerald is something special, I’m looking forward to getting closer to her.”

* * *

The day of the date dawned bright and clear. At 9 AM sharp, Mags’ car pulled into Twilight’s driveway and out hopped Emerald. “See ya later, Mom!” said the yellow girl, smiling.

“Don’t get into too much trouble,” Mags replied. “And call me when you’re ready to come home!”

Emerald nodded and as Mags drove away, she walked up to Twilight’s door and knocked.

The door soon swung open. A tall blue-skinned man with darker blue hair stood before her, and gave Emerald a warm smile. “You must be Emerald,” he said. “I’m Night Light, Twilight’s dad. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Emerald said, shaking Night Light’s hand. “Is she up?”

“She sure is,” came Velvet’s voice from somewhere nearby. “She was so excited she could barely sleep! She’s downstairs in the theater getting everything ready.”

“Got it,” said Emerald, entering the house and making for the staircase that led to the basement. The Sparkle manor couldn’t be more different from her home if it tried, and under any other circumstance, she likely would’ve been intimidated. But she knew that Twilight wasn’t like those jerks at school. It would be okay.

“Hello?” came Twilight’s voice as Emerald’s footsteps creaked on the stairs.

“It’s me, Sparks!” Emerald replied, jumping the last two steps and going to join Twilight, but as she got a good look at the [room](https://bit.ly/2YfGio3), she stopped. “Whoa… this place is _fancy_.”

The room was comfy as could be, with softly glowing lighting strips in the ceiling, and smaller lights meant to resemble stars. There were three rows of chairs, each raised slightly above the one before so everyone had an unobscured view of the screen, which currently showed a viewing queue for a streaming service.

Twilight smiled, “It was one of Dad’s passion projects, he’s always loved movies. Believe it or not, this place used to be a wine cellar.” She settled into a chair and pressed a few buttons on a remote control. “I know you like sci-fi, so I thought we’d watch a bunch of _Star Trot: Voyager_ episodes. How does that sound?”

Emerald grinned. “Shoulda guessed you’d be a _Star Trot_ fan, Sparks. That sounds perfect.” She settled in beside the purple girl and smiled. “Where will we start? I’ve never really seen the show before.”

“I wasn’t sure at first,” admitted Twilight. “There’s hundreds of different lists online, so I compiled a list of my own by taking notes on which episodes appeared on the majority of the other lists, then sprinkled in some of my personal favorites. We’ll be going in chronological order, so that means starting with the two-part pilot episode. Ready?”

“Ready,” Emerald said with a grin. “I mean, uh… Make it so, Number One.”

Twilight giggled. “Wrong show, but don’t worry. That was too cute.” She pressed the play button, and each of them settled in to watch, holding hands the entire time.

* * *

The two girls watched _Voyager_ for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, only stopping in the evening when Velvet called them to dinner. (It was spaghetti and meatballs.) Afterward, both of them got clearance from their respective moms to turn the date into a sleepover, and so they made plans to finish the marathon the following day.

After dinner, they instead went up to Twilight’s room to talk, with Twilight herself lying on the bed and Emerald sitting in Twilight’s desk chair. “So… are you having a good time so far?” Twilight asked, slightly nervously. “I know we haven’t done a lot, but if you’re not having fun I’m sure we can come up with something to do.”

“It’s okay,” Emerald said softly, reaching over to hold Twilight’s hand again. She smiled. “I’m having a lot of fun, Twilight. I think you’re a really interesting girl… I’m glad we met.”

“Me too,” admitted Twilight, blushing as she smiled back at Emerald. “So you’re okay with just talking?”

Emerald nodded, getting up to sit beside Twilight on the bed, thereby closing the distance between the two of them. “There’s something you should know about me, anyway.”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

Emerald didn’t respond for a few moments, choosing her words carefully before deciding the best thing to do was to be honest. “I’m transgender.”

To Emerald’s great surprise, Twilight brightened. “You are? That’s very interesting! I knew such people existed of course, there have been examples of gender-variant people going as far back as the Ancient Egyptians! In fact, did you know that 8% of Canterlot’s population is part of the wider LGBT community?”

Emerald looked fairly surprised at this news. “No, I didn’t! That’s very interesting!”

Twilight nodded, “Census data is tremendously fascinating when you really start researching it.” She smiled. “What that means is, if you were afraid I might have had a problem with you being trans, be assured that I don’t. You’re a completely natural part of the human experience!”

Emerald blushed. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me… and it’s just as well you know now, because it’s time I took my pills.” She reached into a pocket of her backpack and took out two small bottles, unscrewed the lids, and shook out two pills from each one: the first one was circular and a yellow-white color, and the other was greenish-blue and very small, about the size of a grain of rice. “Do you know what these are?”

Twilight nodded, “The larger pill is spironolactone, it’s an anti-androgen that blocks testosterone’s masculinizing effects. The second pill, estradiol, causes the softening of your skin and the development of female secondary sexual characteristics such as breasts and wider hips.”

Emerald whistled. “Wow… you really have done your homework, haven’t you?”

Twilight smiled. “I’m a scientist, Emmy. It’s what I do.” Just as the words left her mouth however, her phone buzzed. She checked it and gasped in surprise. “My spectrometer! It’s reporting a _huge_ spike in that strange energy we detected the other day!”

Emerald swallowed her spiro pill before replying, “No way, really? Now?! What do we do?”

“We can’t check it out now,” Twilight said, “It’s after my curfew. But there may be an alternative…” She brought over her tablet and opened the MyStable app. She saw “#FallFormal” was trending, so she tapped it and saw some of the posts. Most of them were relatively standard fare for high school events like these, mainly pictures of outfits and videos of the dance itself.

But as she found some of the more recent posts, she saw something peculiar: a cell phone video of the CHS school grounds, with two groups of students gathered around the horse statue on the lawn. One group was composed of two boys and a girl with amber skin and red and yellow hair wearing a leather jacket, she was holding a sledgehammer and speaking threateningly to someone Twilight couldn’t see at first.

But then the videographer zoomed in, and she could see a few details of the second group, and two figures in particular: one of them had yellow skin with curly brown hair, and the other had purple skin with blue hair streaked with purple and pink. She wore a pink party dress with matching boots and a golden crown that glinted in the moonlight.

Twilight gasped in surprise, starting to go pale. She dropped the tablet on the bed, her heart starting to race as her eyes widened. “Emmy… are you seeing this?!”

“Yeah, I’m seeing it,” said Emerald, as the last of the estrogen pill dissolved. “There’s another you over at CHS.”

“And another you,” added Twilight, shakily picking the tablet up again. Now their doppelgängers were busy playing what looked like a high-stakes game of keep-away, but it ended when the red-haired girl grabbed the crown and jammed it onto her head.

What followed was something that if both of them weren’t watching it happen before their eyes, they would’ve sworn was something from an Applewood movie. Cyan light lit up the screen of the tablet, obscuring everything from view. When it faded after a few seconds, the red-haired girl had transformed into a 7 foot tall monster with red skin, draconic wings, four-fingered claws, and hair like an inferno. She took a look at herself and laughed maniacally, and said in a deep voice that carried through the courtyard: “I've had to jump through so many hoops tonight just to get my hands on this crown, and it really should have been mine all along. But let's let bygones be bygones. _I_ am your princess now, and you will be loyal... to _me_!”

Then she tore away the entire front façade of the building with some strange power, and locked eyes with the terrified students inside, hypnotizing all of them. Then the video ended, and they saw no more.

Emerald sat there on the bed, unable to believe what she had just seen. “…That was real, right? We weren’t just hallucinating?”

Twilight shook her head, replaying the video from the beginning. “It was real, alright.” She paused the video at the point where their doppelgängers appeared, pointing at her crown-wearing counterpart. “I just don’t understand it! She was me, but I'm me too. How can there be two me's? It's not scientifically possible! Unless…”

“Unless what?” Emerald asked.

Twilight took a moment to polish her glasses before replying. “The many-worlds interpretation is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts that the universal wavefunction is objectively real, and that there is no wavefunction collapse. This implies that all possible outcomes of quantum measurements are physically realized in some "world" or universe.”

Emerald blinked. “Can you say that again, but in English?”

Twilight smiled. “Certainly. Very simply, the many-worlds interpretation holds that there are an infinite number of universes in existence, precisely equivalent to our own yet different in an equally infinite number of ways.”

Emerald raised her hand. “So, kinda like that evil alternate universe in _Star Trot_ where everyone has goatees and stuff?”

“Exactly!” Twilight beamed. “Very good, Emmy! It’s entirely possible such a universe exists in parallel to our own, but we have no idea because we don’t have the technology to visit!”

“Then how’d our counterparts get here?” Emerald asked. “Do they have technology we don’t?”

“They must have,” Twilight said. “And I think that statue on the lawn is part of it! Remember when I threw that pebble at the statue and it vanished into the stone like water in a pond? I think the statue is concealing a gateway to another world, and those alternate versions of us we saw are visitors from it!” She bounced up and down, looking like a little kid on Christmas morning. “This is amazing! This could change science as we know it!”

“If we can prove it,” Emerald pointed out. “I’m not a science geek like you are Sparks, but even I know you need proof before you can go making any big claims.”

Twilight nodded, “Naturally. Which is why, tomorrow, you and I are going to go looking for our counterparts! We can interview them, ask questions about their world, and why they came to ours! It’s fool-proof! What could possibly go wrong?!”

Emerald groaned. “I _really_ wish you hadn’t said that…”

* * *

When lights-out came, Twilight and Emerald elected to sleep in Twilight’s bed together, since it was large enough to fit both of them. (In pajamas, of course.) They curled up together, Emerald’s taller frame meshing perfectly with Twilight’s slightly shorter one.

In the morning, following a rousing breakfast of oatmeal with blueberries, they took the first cross-town bus to CHS, but found the front yard bustling with construction workers. The statue was blocked off with temporary fencing, but that didn’t stop Emerald from poking the portal side with a stick when no one was looking.

To her surprise, the stick merely tapped against solid granite rather than get pulled through like the pebble had done. Puzzled, she put her hand on the statue again but found only cold rock, not the strange warmth of a few days ago. “Whoa… weird. It’s just an ordinary statue now, Sparks.”

“Then I guess our counterparts must have gone home,” theorized Twilight. “I hope they come back.” She held up her spectrometer. “This is still detecting that strange energy we found, but at a much lower level… yet it seems to be omnipresent, I noticed it as soon as the bus arrived in this part of town.”

“What do you think the energy even is?” Emerald asked, leading the way back to the bus stop.

“I went looking on MyStable earlier,” Twilight said. “The students at Canterlot High seem to be calling it magic. Allegedly, that group our counterparts were in all transformed into anthropomorphized equine creatures, but I couldn’t get any good pictures.”

“This whole thing just gets weirder and weirder…” Emerald shook her head as they waited for the next bus. “But I do know one thing.”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

Emerald leaned in and kissed the purple girl on the lips. “I couldn’t ask for a better girlfriend to solve the mysteries of the multiverse with.”

Twilight blushed and returned the kiss, smiling at her words. “Likewise, Emmy. Likewise.”


	7. We Gather Together

After a busy September, October and most of November passed largely without incident at Canterlot High School. For Sunset Shimmer, her actions during the Battle of the Bands meant that her reputation improved dramatically as everyone saw she had truly changed, and was no longer a person to be feared or treated with scorn. Sunset’s self-esteem went up too, culminating with her appearance at Canterlot High’s Halloween party and costume contest dressed as the she-demon she had changed into during the Fall Formal, for which she won Most Original Costume.

As November came to town, the air chilled as the last of autumn’s leaves drifted down from the trees. It was not uncommon to see coats and scarves in the mornings and afternoons. As the days ticked by and the teachers worked on their final lessons before starting the mid-year exams in December, student chatter buzzed with excitement as Thanksgiving approached.

At lunch on the last Friday before the week-long Thanksgiving break, Sunset, Gem, Raven, Vinyl, and Octavia sat at their usual table in the back of the cafeteria chatting and eating their lunches.

“So Sunny, what are you gonna do for Turkey Day?” Vinyl asked as she slurped up spaghetti noodles.

Sunset blinked a few times, thrown by the question. “Uh… nothing, I guess. That’s pretty much what I’ve done every other year since I left Equestria.”

“Why?” Gem asked, puzzled.

Sunset smirked a bit. “I was the reigning queen bitch of CHS, Gem. Before you girls came along, Thanksgiving was just another day to plot revenge on Princess Celestia and play video games in my apartment, I didn’t plan on ever celebrating human holidays. Now, it’ll probably be the same old thing, minus the world domination part.”

“Well, I for one simply cannot _bear_ the thought of you spending another holiday in that little apartment of yours,” said Gem, in a tone of voice Raven liked to call her ‘problem-solving tone.’ “This is supposed to be a day to get together with one’s family and other loved ones, not sit inside alone!”

“Nice thought and all,” interrupted Sunset, “but I don’t exactly have any family in this world. And… I’m not really ready to set hoof in Equestria yet.” There was a pause as everyone looked at her. “What?”

“She means, spend the holiday with us, baconhead,” Raven said, playfully smacking Sunset on the back of her head with her hand.

“Really?” Sunset asked, sounding amazed. “Don’t you all have families of your own?”

Raven shook her head. “Gem’s folks are back in Trottingham where they don’t even celebrate Thanksgiving. Until she moved here and met me, it was just a regular Thursday. My parents are either in prison or dead, and Faust knows Corvus would love to have a day off from looking after me otherwise, and Tavi and Scratch live together anyway, so getting us all together wouldn’t be hard at all.”

Sunset smiled. “That does sound nice… what would we even do?”

“Well, why not a potluck dinner at my house?” Gem suggested. “Everyone makes a dish, we eat in the evening, and spend the rest of the day enjoying each other’s company?”

“I think that sounds like a splendid idea, Gemini,” Octavia said, smiling as she adjusted her pink bow tie.

“All in favor, then?” Gem asked, polling the group. Every hand went up.

* * *

While each dish was left to everyone’s discretion, the one thing they would otherwise have in common was that they had to be vegetarian, to better accommodate Sunset’s preferences. Though the portal had changed her species completely, meaning she could eat meat like any other human if she wanted, she refused out of principle. She was still a pony at heart, even if she looked human.

And so, the four humans in the group scoured the internet searching for vegetarian dishes that were appropriate for Thanksgiving meals. At Shadowfall, Gem and Raven were sitting on the couch browsing the internet on Gem’s tablet, considering their options. Raven had her phone out so they could add to the list of who was bringing what.

“Let us worry about the main dish,” Gem decided, “Since it was my idea, it only makes sense for us to contribute the turkey, no?”

“Agreed,” Raven said, tapping on a likely-looking link. “Do we care if it’s store-bought?” Most of the options on the page appeared to be for pre-cooked options that only required warming up.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Gem after a moment’s thought. “Goodness knows it would make prep time easier.” She tapped on one boxed tofu turkey [roast](https://bit.ly/30wX9Wj) that came with gravy and a vegan chocolate cheesecake for dessert. “Oooh, look at this one!”

“That looks delicious,” Raven agreed, licking her lips. “And the supermarket’s got a bunch of ‘em!”

“Let’s hurry then,” Gem said, getting up and snatching her car keys. They stepped outside and climbed into Gem’s Aston, which she guided easily through the streets of Canterlot.

“Wonder what the rest of the girls will bring,” Raven commented as the scenery zipped by.

“Sunset said she’d be making something from Equestria, I do believe,” Gem replied. “Though modified for human consumption, of course.”

“That could be interesting,” said Raven. “I always did wonder what pony food is like.”

“Not too far off from our own vegetarian and vegan dishes,” said Gem. “Though add in hay and flowers and certain types of grasses, of course.” Soon the pulled into the market’s parking lot and climbed out to go hunting for food.

“Where would this even be?” Raven wondered as they bypassed the carts. The market was busy as ever as shoppers hustled and bustled around buying ingredients for their own meals.

“Probably the freezer aisle,” Gem reasoned, heading in that direction. Raven followed, following the signs for pre-packaged dinners. Most of the items on the shelves contained meat, but there, tucked away in a small corner of one of the last freezers, was a bright red tofu turkey feast box.

“Phew!” Raven beamed as she pulled open the fridge door and grabbed the box. “I was worried for a bit!”

“So was I,” Gem admitted. “But now, our part is complete! Let’s hurry!” And with that they headed for the checkout counters.

* * *

Meanwhile, Octavia was browsing on her own laptop. “I think we should contribute breads to this meal, don’t you agree?”

“Sounds good to me,” Vinyl agreed, sipping from a can of soda. “You were always a better baker anyhow.”

Octavia smirked. “Because I passed Family and Consumer Sciences with an A while you scraped a D?”

“Oh come on!” shouted Vinyl to the ceiling, “Destroy one oven accidentally and you hear about it forever!”

Octavia laughed and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek before turning back to her research. “Ooooh, this pull-apart cinnamon bread sounds truly delicious… look at the [pictures](https://joythebaker.com/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/)!”

Vinyl leaned over and took a good long look at the images on the page, “I can feel my teeth rotting already… let’s bake that sucker, Tavi.”

Octavia smiled, “What do you think of a test batch, to make sure it is truly worthy of Gemini’s table?”

Vinyl beamed at her. “Girl, if I wasn’t already dating you I’d ask you to be my girlfriend just at the sheer thought of it. What do we need?”

Octavia consulted the recipe. “For the dough, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 ounces unsalted butter, 1/3 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup water, 2 large eggs, at room temperature, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. For the filling, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg, 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned.”

Vinyl paused. “We have all that, right?”

Octavia nodded, “We certainly do. If you don’t mind providing the appropriate background music, I can start the test loaf now.”

“Wouldn’t be much of a DJ if I said no!” Vinyl replied, bouncing to her DJ stand and cueing up [some](https://youtu.be/Lc88SZ9It3U) light jazz on her laptop, then setting it on a loop.

Octavia washed her hands, threw on an apron, and got to work, first measuring out all of her ingredients in order to speed things up a little, then following the instructions given by the recipe.

* * *

In yet another part of the city, Sunset sat in her [apartment](https://bit.ly/2wYDQsd) paging through a cookbook that Princess Twilight had sent her through the portal. The book, of course, was written in Equestrian rather than English, as the portal didn’t translate written works. (Magic journals were the exception, of course.) If any human read it, they would’ve said it was gobbledygook, but because Sunset was a pony, she could read it easily.

“Alright… sweet potato Roamane salad with rose petals,” she read, running her finger along the page. “Yeah, that could work. Good thing I grow my own roses.” Since getting this apartment, Sunset kept an indoor garden in which she grew some of her favorite flowers, or at least the ones digestible by humans, and frequently snacked on the petals.

Sunset copied the recipe onto a spare sheet of paper (again in Equestrian, since it was her native language) and stuck it to a wall in her kitchenette, which took up the entire back wall of her apartment. Then she went around and gathered the necessary salad ingredients: lettuce, capers, 2 medium sweet potatoes, canola oil, garlic, whole wheat bread, parmesan, cashews, yeast, kosher salt, apple cider vinegar, milk, and of course rose petals, which she picked and washed herself.

First she prepared the sweet potatoes. She cut them into cubes, then seasoned them with salt and pepper, garlic mix and oil. Then she put them on a baking sheet and baked them. While that was going, she worked on the roasted garlic Parmesan dressing by combining all ingredients until smooth in her blender.

Once everything was ready she assembled the salad and gave it a taste test, then beamed. “Oh yeah, I’m thinking the girls are gonna love this.”

* * *

Thanksgiving morning dawned cold but bright. Traffic was light as Sunset, Vinyl, and Raven all drove their respective cars through town to Gem’s house and parked in her nicely-sized garage.

“Good morning, girls!” Gem called out, coming to the door to greet them. She hugged them tight, a warm smile on her face. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” replied the other four in turn. Vinyl asked, “You have ESPN, right? I wanna catch the game.”

“I didn’t think you were into gridiron football, Vinyl,” Gem observed, leading her friends through to the sitting room, where there was a tray of scones and five cups: two containing tea for herself and Octavia, and three with coffee for Raven, Vinyl, and Sunset.

“Vinyl likes anything that lets her be loud and enthusiastic,” explained Octavia, taking a tea cup.

“I was hoping to show her and Sunset this TV show I saw on Webflix the other day,” Raven said. “It’s about this guy who gets shot up into outer space by a couple of mad scientists who want to take over the world, so they decide to drive him crazy by forcing him to watch really bad movies, but he builds some robots to keep him company, and they talk back at the movies.”

“Sounds like a neat show,” Sunset said. “The game won’t start for a few hours, so I think we have time to watch a few episodes.”

Raven nodded and flicked on Gem’s TV, then took out her phone, quickly accessing the Webflix app. A few more taps later, and an [episode](https://youtu.be/sCl2ZNkfnS8) of the aforementioned show was playing on the TV’s screen.

* * *

While Raven, Vinyl, and Sunset watched, Gem and Octavia retreated to the kitchen to talk and begin making dinner. In addition to the three main dishes that each of them had offered, there would also be plenty of sides: homemade rolls, baked macaroni and cheese, (Gem abhorred the boxed variety) and two pies, pumpkin and cranberry.

Gradually the sun moved around the sky, and by nightfall, dinner was almost ready. Gem and Octavia walked around the kitchen table setting everything up and making things look presentable. The roast was placed in the center of the table with the salad, cinnamon bread, rolls, macaroni, cheesecake, and pies all grouped around it.

Eventually, the other three girls trooped in from the sitting room, and took a look. “Whoa… this stuff looks delicious!” said Vinyl, already drooling a bit.

“Agreed,” said Sunset, her stomach rumbling some. “And it’s all pony friendly!”

Gem nodded, “We know how important that is to you, Sunset. We’d never leave you out in the cold! Let’s eat!”

Cheering, the five of them took seats and began serving themselves, passing dishes left and right as they went along. For several minutes there was quiet as they ate, aside from the happy content noises they made at how delicious everything tasted. When the main meal was over, they took a break to digest before starting in on the desserts. Then, they boxed up the leftovers and prepared to take them home.

“Gotta say, we should do this again next year,” said Vinyl happily, smiling as she, Octavia, Raven, and Sunset got ready to leave.

“I’d like nothing more,” said Gem, smiling. “You girls are excellent dining companions, I couldn’t imagine better ones.”

“I’m just glad to finally have some friends to share the holidays with,” Sunset said. “I spent a lot time alone, even before I came to this world. To be honest? Being hit with that rainbow was the best thing to ever happen to me, because it gave me you four.”

“And you’re very welcome, Sunset,” said Gem, hugging the former unicorn tight. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.”

“Happy Thanksgiving!” chorused the rest, then one by one, they climbed into their cars and drove off into the dark.


	8. Homeward Bound

December at Canterlot High School usually meant two things: intense studying as the winter exams loomed and the mad rush for winter break. With Thanksgiving over and the rest of town busily decorating itself for Christmas, (that is, the largely secular version of the holiday beloved by the world’s children as they awaited the coming of Santa Claus) there was a lot to do and see.

But Sunset Shimmer had plans of her own. The events of the fall formal, and her new friendship with Princess Twilight had helped her to see that the time had come for her to try and make amends with Celestia and reacquaint herself with the world she had once called home. So, at the last lunch before break began, she broke the news to her friends as delicately as possible.

“Girls,” she said, “I’m going back to Equestria!”

“WHAT?!” cried the other four in unison. All of them were thinking the same thing: why leave now when the school year was hardly over yet?

“Not forever!” Sunset said quickly, raising her hands. “Just until we get back from break. I want to reconcile with Princess Celestia, visit Princess Twilight, and just… be a pony again. I love CHS and I love you girls, but I’m still a unicorn at heart, and… I miss my magic.”

“I think we all understand,” said Gem, placing her light grey hand atop Sunset’s amber one. “And I agree. If there was ever a time for you to revisit your homeland, it would be now.”

“Promise you’ll get souvenirs?” Vinyl asked hopefully.

Sunset laughed, “Oh yeah, absolutely. And pictures too!”

“When will you be leaving?” Octavia asked.

“Later today,” Sunset replied. “I’ll have to go home and pack, but I won’t need much.”

“Have fun out there,” said Raven, giving Sunset a hug that the other three girls quickly joined in on.

* * *

That afternoon, Sunset walked up to the portal to Equestria, carrying a suitcase Gem had lent her. It had been packed with enough items to last her the two-week break, along with plenty of room for any souvenirs she might bring back with her. The only things she didn’t bring were her human electronics, since she wasn’t sure how the portal’s magic might affect a smartphone.

“Well… here goes nothing,” Sunset said, before stepping through the gateway. She fell into a colorful vortex that warped and changed her physical form, altering it into that of a unicorn pony. By the time she landed on the other side, she was fully transformed. (Her suitcase had changed into saddlebags.)

“Sunset! You’re here!” Twilight Sparkle cantered into the castle library, a big smile on her face as she helped her friend to stand on all four hooves. “Happy Hearth’s Warming!”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Twilight,” Sunset said, throwing her front legs around Twilight in a warm hug. The castle had been [decorated](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/6/60/Twilight_and_Spike_in_the_decorated_castle_S5E20.png/revision/latest?cb=20151026135042) for the holiday season, with ribbons, wreaths, ornaments, and other decorations hanging from every available surface. “This place looks great!”

“I’m glad you like it,” Twilight said happily. “It took a while to get it all decorated, since this castle is pretty huge, but the girls and I were able to pull it off!” She walked toward the library doors and out into the [hall](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/9/9f/Pinkie_in_castle_hallway_zoom-out.png/revision/latest?cb=20150413172506). “Let me show you to your room!”

“I get my own room?!” Sunset cried, her jaw falling open.

Twilight laughed, “Well, of course! You don’t think I’d make one of my best friends sleep in a broom closet, do you?”

“No, I suppose not,” Sunset said. “I gotta admit, it does feel nice to be back. And for a good reason this time instead of thievery.”

“It’s good to have you here,” agreed Twilight, leading Sunset down the hall to a room that had her cutie mark attached to it. “I know you said in the journal that you wanted to go up to Canterlot and see Celestia, but was there anything else you wanted to do?”

“For a start? I think I want to see Ponyville,” Sunset replied. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

Twilight shook her head, “Of course not. I’ll let you get unpacked, then when you’re ready you can meet me in the throne room! I have some princess stuff to do anyway, but I promise it won’t take long.”

“Got it,” Sunset said, before giving Twilight’s cheek a friendly nuzzle. “By the way… thanks. For everything. I wouldn’t be the pony I am today if it wasn’t for you.”

Twilight returned the nuzzle. “Anything for a friend,” she said. “You’re as close to me as Emmy and the girls are, Sunset. And I mean it.” Then she made her way back down the hall, and Sunset was left to unpack.

* * *

Ponyville, Sunset thought, looked exactly like what the humans would call a Christmas card. Snow had been a constant presence in the town for weeks, covering every roof and every square inch of the town proper. Ponies dressed in scarves and boots trotted here and there going about their business as, in the market, shopkeepers shouted about last minute deals and other enticements to get ponies to spend their hard-earned bits.

At one stall was an Earth pony mare with orange fur and a blonde mane and tail, a Stetson perched on her head. She smiled warmly at Twilight, Emerald, and Sunset when she saw them. “Howdy Twilight, hey there, Em! Who’s this?” she asked, in a rich Appleloosan drawl.

“Applejack, this is Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight explained, gesturing to Sunset with a wingtip. “She’s a friend of mine from… uh… out of town.”

Applejack smirked. “Lemme guess: that crazy world from that mirror in your library?”

Twilight nodded, “Exactly, yes! But she was born in Equestria like we were.” She smiled. “Why don’t you tell a little bit about yourself, Sunset?”

“Sure.” Sunset faced Applejack and thought for a few moments. “Well, like Twilight, I used to be Princess Celestia’s student.”

“Well, I’ll be!” said Applejack. “But I guess I shouldn’t’ve been surprised, with a name like yours and the way you carry yourself.” She smiled, “Don’t suppose I can interest you in a mug of apple cider?”

“You sure can,” said Sunset, already starting to float over a few bits. “I’ve heard a lot about your family’s produce from Twilight, I’ve been dying to try it myself.”

Applejack waved the bits away, “A friend of Twilight’s means it’s on the house, sugarcube,” she explained. She hoofed over a mug of warm cider, then prepared two more for Twilight and Emerald.

Sunset sipped her mug and her eyes widened in absolute euphoria. “Whoa... this is _amazing!_ I’ve never had cider this good back home! How do you do it?!”

Applejack grinned, “A little tender loving care goes a long way. Y’all take care now! Sunset, be sure to swing by the farm sometime soon for a good ol’ fashioned Apple family welcome! And be sure to bring your appetite!”

“You’ll need it,” Emerald whispered as they left. “AJ invited me over when I moved to town, and I ate so much I ended up having to sleep it off in the guest room of the farmhouse.”

“Somehow, I’m not surprised,” Sunset replied, continuing to sip her cider. “Where next, Twilight?”

Twilight adjusted her scarf. “Well, I suppose we could go and introduce you to Rarity... though don’t be surprised if you wind up walking out of her boutique with more clothes than you arrived in.”

“Sure, why not?” Sunset said, smiling. “Lead the way, Twilight!”

* * *

“Ah, Twilight, darling! What a pleasure to see you!” said a white unicorn with an expertly coiffed purple mane and tail. “And you too, Emerald! Tell me, is this that Sunset Shimmer mare I’ve heard so much about?”

“That’s me,” said she. “Pleased to meet you, Rarity. Twilight’s told me all about you!”

“As well as the rest of our friends, no doubt,” said Rarity, beaming as she floated over a tape measure to begin taking Sunset’s measurements. “Let’s see... how would you like a new coat? Twilight tells me that these... hyoomons you spend time with haven’t any fur to keep themselves warm during the cold months.”

“Humans, and it’s true,” confirmed Sunset. “I remember the first winter after I moved there, I stole a coat from a homeless guy.”

“You did what?!” exploded Twilight, looking thunderstruck. “Sunset, how could you?!”

“Twilight, I was evil back then, remember?” Sunset pointed out. “Petty thievery was the _least_ of my crimes back then.” She coughed. “Anyway, I’m a much better pony now. Being hit in the face with a rainbow tends to give you a new perspective on life.”

Rarity chuckled as she finished up with Sunset’s measurements and began to design a new winter coat, one that was guaranteed to survive the portal’s magic intact. “I don’t doubt it. Almost all the enemies we girls have faced down the years have become our friends, with one or two exceptions...”

“She means Tirek and Chrysalis,” Emerald put in. “The queen of the changelings and a magic-stealing centaur, respectively.”

Rarity nodded. “Quite. The less said about those ruffians, the better!” She held up a few swatches of fabric in her magic. “Sunset, what do you think of red velvet with a goldenrod inner lining?”

“I think that sounds fantastic,” Sunset replied, looking mildly surprised. “Thank you, Rarity.”

The white unicorn smiled. “Think nothing of it, darling. Twilight is the best judge of character I know, any friend of hers is a friend of mine.” She waved a hoof, “Now, off with you! I must create! Though do return in a day or two for a fitting, please. Ta-ta!”

The three mares departed at that, talking animatedly amongst themselves.

* * *

The rest of that day was spent dropping in on the rest of Twilight’s friends, from Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to Fluttershy, Lyra, Bonbon, Derpy, and the Equestrian versions of Vinyl and Octavia. In the evening, they stopped by for dinner Raven and Orion before finishing off back at the castle for a cup of cocoa with Spike.

“Today was absolutely amazing,” Sunset said in the evening, as she walked down the hall to her room. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”

“I thought we might go up to Canterlot,” Twilight replied. “If you’re ready, of course. I don’t want to rush you.”

“I think I’m ready,” Sunset said, after pausing to blow a strand of mane from out of her eyes. “As I’ll ever be, anyway.”

“I’ll be there the whole time,” reassured Twilight. “I promise.”

“I think I’ll need it,” Sunset admitted. “You know what they say about theory and practice, right?”

Twilight nodded and gave Sunset a hug. “She’ll forgive you, Sunset,” she whispered. “Trust me.” Then she went on her way, and Sunset went into her room to get ready for bed.

* * *

Even with Twilight’s reassurances, Sunset still had an uneasy night’s sleep. In her dream, she was walking down the long red throne room carpet to Celestia’s chair, looking at her hooves rather than up at her former mentor.

“Princess…” Sunset began, when she was close enough for Celestia to hear her. “I’m back…”

“So I see,” said Celestia, in an imperious voice. “Sunset Shimmer, it has been many moons since I saw you last. I also see that you have not changed.” Her horn glowed gold as she ransacked Sunset’s memories, producing a magical square that played back certain events like a human movie, only on mute. All the memories were before her reformation.

“But I _have_ changed!” Sunset protested, changing the display of the memory square to show more recent ones, especially joining in with her friends to defeat the sirens. “I’m a better pony, I swear it!”

“And yet you came to me alone,” Celestia intoned. “Truly you have learned nothing since your departure… you know what that must mean.”

Sunset gulped and paled. “Princess… please… no!”

“It is time you were punished for your crimes, Sunset Shimmer!” Celestia said, her voice echoing off the throne room walls. “A thousand years on the moon should suffice!” Her horn flared as bright as the sun, and Sunset was blinded.

When her vision cleared, she saw not the throne room, but a barren, rocky landscape marked with craters. Surrounding her was an endless starscape, and in the far distance was the blue bean of Equus, turning slowly and silently. Sunset tried to scream but her mouth made no sound, she began to asphyxiate. She was cold… so cold… colder than anything. And she couldn’t breathe.

But then… the moon scene faded away, replaced by a nighttime view of a forest clearing with a lake. The moon was above her now, and the air was warm. Lightning bugs flew past her nose, and she could breathe again. It felt like summer.

Hooves approached her, and Sunset’s ears flicked in the direction of the sound. She turned to see a dark blue alicorn with a crescent moon cutie mark and a mane and tail seemingly composed of the night sky itself. Her eyes were blue green, just like Sunset’s. The mare smiled. “Good evening, my little pony,” she said. “Do you know who I am?”

“Nightmare Moon?” Sunset guessed. Then she shook her head. “No… you’re too nice to be her.”

The mare chuckled. “That may be so, but you are indeed correct. I was Nightmare Moon, once upon a time. But then, as I believe you called it, I was hit in the face by a rainbow.” She smiled. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer. I am Princess Luna. You and I have much to discuss.”

Sunset blinked. “We do?”

Luna nodded and sat down, bidding Sunset to do likewise. Once she did, Luna spoke again: “One thousand years ago, I was tempted by the darkest magic known to our kind. I felt ignored and unloved by my subjects, and especially my own sister. The darkness saw this in me and pounced, transforming me into a darker version of myself.”

“One night,” Luna continued, “I refused to lower the moon, and Tia was forced to use the Elements of Harmony against me. She banished me to the moon, and I waited there for a thousand years, planning my revenge. But when I returned, I found my sister had taken a student, and sent her to Ponyville to learn the ways of friendship... that student was the mare you know as Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight Sparkle and her friends saved me that night, and I have returned to the throne alongside Celestia. I have found that ponies now love and appreciate the night just as they do the day, particularly the youngest ones.” Luna smiled, then turned to Sunset. “When Tia informed me of her history with you, I was struck by the similarities.”

“Like what?” Sunset asked, though she already knew the answer.

“Your desire to become a princess and rule at Celestia’s side was not too far off from my own wishes,” Luna said. “And of course, we both were transformed into dark creatures bent upon revenge, only to be defeated by Twilight Sparkle and her compatriots.” She gestured to the moon far above. “Now… you fear meeting the same fate once forced upon me, and that Celestia may reject you, in spite of your improvement.”

“Am I that obvious?” Sunset asked, her ears pinning back as she looked down at her hooves.

Luna smiled and tilted Sunset’s chin up. “Ms. Shimmer… please believe me when I tell you that I understand your feelings. The fear of rejection is quite common when it concerns ponies we are close to. And it is a valid fear, for there are ponies in this world who _would_ reject those loved ones who have failed them. But Celestia is not one of them. She welcomed me back with open hooves when I was restored, and I know she will do the same for you.”

“Okay, so say she does take me back,” said Sunset. “What will I do then? Will I have to return to Equestria for good?”

“That is not for me to say,” Luna replied. “It is your decision alone.” She stood and trotted over to the lake. Its waters were perfectly still, like a mirror. “Tell me, Sunset Shimmer… what do you see?”

Sunset looked into the water of the lake, and saw herself as a pony, like she was now. But then the waters rippled, and when they cleared, she could see her human form in its place. “I see me,” she eventually said. “As a pony and a human.”

Luna nodded. “You will not have to return to Equestria permanently if you do not wish to, Sunset,” she said. “Indeed, I believe you have duties to complete in this other realm you now call home.”

“Graduation and stuff?” Sunset asked. “Maybe a job?”

Luna nodded. “That, as well as something far more important.” She leaned in. “Do you know how magic found its way to your world, Sunset Shimmer?”

“It came when I brought Twilight’s crown through the portal,” Sunset replied. “And it got stronger when she defeated me, creating a small magic field. It used to just cover the area around Canterlot High, but after the siren thing, the whole city is now covered by it.”

Luna nodded. “Correct… but only partially. All the things of which you speak did occur, but magic did not appear when you stole the crown. It did not even appear when Starswirl banished the sirens. I once believed your world had no magic of its own, but I was wrong… it has a small portion of _our_ magic, and it has been this way since Starswirl first discovered this world, when the Memory Stone and the Time Twirler were banished there, long before the siren problem. It was how the sirens were able to live as long as they did.”

“Of course…” Sunset whispered. “Magical objects generate magic fields… they have to, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to function!”

Luna nodded. “Your theft of the crown strengthened an existing magic field, but your defeat at Twilight’s hand, as well as your own defeat of the sirens, has indeed made it permanent. And it is growing.”

“Growing?” Sunset gulped. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

Luna nodded. “It does. In time, the field will expand far beyond the city limits of your world’s incarnation of Canterlot. Eventually it will contain your entire planet, but that growth will take years to occur… unless you use the magic of friendship again. If you do, the expansion will increase exponentially, as will the power of the field. And if that happens, your world will change in ways we can only begin to guess at.”

Sunset had a sudden vision of everyone at school walking around with pony ears and tails. “Like a total species transformation?”

“Perhaps,” replied Luna. “You may even see the generation of your own Tree of Harmony. Should that be the case, then it means your realm will be well on its way to becoming but a duplicate of ours. They will need somepony who knows both worlds to guide them if they are to survive… and I think you know who she is.”

Sunset gulped again. “I can’t believe it… I’m finally getting what I wanted, but not the way I wanted it…”

Luna chuckled softly. “The expression ‘be careful what you wish for’ exists for a reason, Sunset Shimmer. Fear not, you will not have to navigate this crisis alone.” Her horn glowed, and a dark blue book with a white crescent moon on the cover appeared on the ground in front of Sunset. “This is a communication journal, not unlike the one you use to speak with Princess Twilight, except this one is coded to my magical signature. As with the other journal, anything written inside it will appear within the pages of its twin, which is kept in my quarters in Canterlot. Can you guess why I am giving this to you?”

“So you can…” Sunset had to stop and breathe before continuing, “So you can help me become a princess?”

“Among other things,” said Luna. “Princess Twilight is a busy mare. Celestia has been grooming her to take over the throne of Equestria from the moment she became her student. As such, she will not always be available to assist you as your world is changed… but I will be.” She smiled. “Write in it frequently, especially concerning your dreams. I cannot dreamwalk while you are on the other side of the mirror, but through this journal, I can still offer advice. Do you understand?”

Sunset nodded. “I do… thank you, Princess.”

Luna smiled. “Please… call me Luna. We are sisters, after all.” She hugged Sunset tight and nuzzled her, then said, “The sun will soon rise… I regret to say that you will not remember much of our talk this night, but when you need reminders, I will be there to provide them.” A strong wind blew as the landscape began to fade away, as did Luna. “Farewell, Sunset Shimmer! Remember! You are forgiven!”

Then, in her bed in Twilight’s castle, Sunset woke with a start.

* * *

The next morning, Twilight and Sunset got up early so they could take the first train to Canterlot. Sunset had found Luna’s journal on her bedside table and had placed it into her saddlebags for the trip, remembering at least that much of her conversation with Luna, though the rest of it was a blur.

Twilight paid for two tickets, insisting on it even as the pony in the booth said they’d never dream of charging royalty for something so pedestrian as taking the train. When they boarded, they got a compartment to themselves as everypony else chose seats elsewhere, because word had spread there was a princess aboard.

“So nice to know that even with the wings, everypony treats you like a regular mare,” Sunset said dryly, sipping her coffee. (Black with a pinch of salt to cut down on the bitterness.)

“Tell me about it,” replied Twilight. “At least in Ponyville we got them to stop… the rest of Equestria not so much.” She sighed. “I’ll be honest, Sunset… there are times where I wish I’d never gotten these wings.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Really? But you idolized Celestia as much as I did!”

Twilight nodded, “That was before I ascended… I’m only the princess of friendship, but my life has changed a lot from what it was even a couple of years ago. I spend every day answering letters from ponies all across Equestria and beyond, looking for help. When I go out, everypony treats me like royalty even when all I’m doing is getting coffee and a donut from Sugarcube Corner. All I want is _one_ day where I can be a normal pony again, like I used to be.” She groaned. “I hope Donut Joe hasn’t changed… I could really use him this morning.” Her stomach rumbled.

“Not if I remember him correctly,” Sunset said, smiling fondly. “I remember going with Celestia on a donut run once. The line stretched out all the way to the next block. A couple of her guards tried to get her to jump the line, but Joe said, ‘I don’t care if it’s the second coming of Faust herself, she can wait her turn like everypony else! The donuts ain’t goin’ anywhere!”

Twilight laughed, “I heard about that day! Shining Armor had just graduated from the Academy and was shadowing her security detail! I was just a filly then!” She sighed happily, looking to the amber unicorn. “You know, it’s hard to believe you’re older than me…”

Sunset shrugged. “Not _that_ much older, at least in pony years. In human years we’re both teenage girls for some reason. I swear living there so long has affected my age here.” It dawned her. “Souvenirs! I said I’d get the girls from souvenirs! Can we hit the gift shop while we’re out?”

Twilight chuckled, “That old tourist trap? Please. I bet we can convince Celestia to help us out with souvenirs.” There was a loud whistling noise as the train pulled into Canterlot Station, and soon they were off.

* * *

Memories of her old life in Canterlot flooded through Sunset’s brain as she and Twilight walked the familiar path through the main district toward the castle. How many times had her hooves trod these very cobblestones as she walked along with her muzzle in a book? How many afternoons had she spent at Donut Joe’s eating an entire box of a dozen by herself while studying? (Not to mention the bottomless glasses of chocolate milk.) Or all those days wandering the castle halls discussing magic with Celestia? She could still be _living_ this life if she’d listened to her, if she hadn’t run away. But she had, and the regret she felt weighed her down like a ton of bricks.

With Twilight there, getting into the castle proved to be easy as pie. But the closer to the throne room they got, the more morose Sunset became. By the time they reached the door, she was almost bent double, her ears pinned completely back and her tail drooping lifelessly. “Twilight… are you sure this is a good idea?”

Twilight nodded. “It’ll be okay, Sunset. Trust me.” She pushed open the door and stepped inside to break the ice.

“Twilight!” Celestia said, smiling at the purple alicorn from her throne. “What a pleasant surprise! How are you this morning?”

“I’m just fine, Princess,” Twilight said, before remembering she didn’t have to do that anymore. “But there’s somepony here who would like to see you.”

“There is?” Celestia looked around. “But I don’t see them!”

Twilight looked behind her and said loudly, “You can come in now!”

Then, very slowly, Sunset came through the door. As she walked along the carpet, she had a sudden vision of her dream, and decided to speak before Celestia could. She stopped before the throne and bowed. “Princess Celestia, the last time we saw each other, I was your snide little pupil who betrayed and abandoned you.” She paused, gathering herself. “I come before you a changed pony, humbly asking for forgiveness, guidance, and knowledge.”

A shadow fell across Sunset’s form, and she gulped. The silence was palpable. After a long pause, she added: “Or I can just go, and you never have to see me again.”

Sunset felt a gold-shod hoof tilt her chin upwards, and she gazed into her mentor’s eyes for the first time in years. Celestia’s expression was stern at first, but then the clouds parted. The white alicorn smiled and hugged Sunset tight, nuzzling her. “I’ve missed you, Sunset Shimmer,” she said. “Welcome home. Twilight has told me much of what you’ve achieved… she is very proud of you, as am I.”

“After what I did?” Sunset asked in a small voice.

Celestia nodded. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but running through that portal to the world beyond was exactly what you needed.” She smiled more. “You are forgiven, Sunset. I promise.”

Unable to say anything else, Sunset burst into tears… but they were happy ones.

* * *

The rest of Sunset’s time in Equestria passed largely without incident. Celestia wrote personal letters to each of Sunset’s friends in the human world, and even took pictures of herself, the castle, Twilight, and Sunset herself, which were developed and ready to be taken back through the portal. Rarity completed her work on Sunset’s new winter coat, and had it delivered to Twilight’s castle on Hearth’s Warming Eve.

On Hearth’s Warming Day, Sunset and Twilight attended Ponyville’s version of the play known as _The Birth of Equestria_ , which recounted the story of Equestria’s founding. They also opened gifts: Sunset received a biography of Starswirl the Bearded with annotations from Twilight included, while Sunset gave Twilight a record of some recordings by the Elements, which Vinyl had digitally processed to make it sound like they’d been captured on magnetic tape.

Finally, Sunset returned through the portal the day before the spring semester began and was pleased to find the coat changed along with her. It fit just as well in her human body as it did her unicorn one. Now home again, she hurried to her apartment and got into her car, going off on a quick drive around the city. The first port of call: Gem’s house.

* * *

“Sunset!” exclaimed Gem, as she pulled open the front door of her home. “Welcome back! How was Equestria?”

“It was amazing, Gem,” Sunset said, hugging the grey girl tight. “The best vacation I’ve ever had, I saw and did so much! I’ll tell all you girls about it tomorrow at school, but for now I wanted to give you this.” She handed Gem a scroll sealed with Celestia’s cutie mark and a book: _The Casebook of Shadow Spade_.

“That’s a letter from Princess Celestia,” Sunset explained. “For your eyes only. And the book is a collection of short stories featuring Shadow Spade, a fictional unicorn detective. That was Twilight’s idea, since I mentioned you like mystery novels a lot.”

“Sunset, these are wonderful gifts! Thank you so much!” Gem beamed, returning Sunset’s hug. “Will you be here long?”

Sunset shook her head, “I really gotta jet, lots of gifts to hand out. I’ll see you tomorrow!” Waving goodbye, Sunset climbed back into her car and drove off.

The rest of the day went pretty much the same way: In addition to their letters from Celestia, Raven received the first Equestrian _Daring Do_ novel, while Vinyl and Octavia received autographed albums from their respective equine counterparts.

Then, feeling the lightest she’d had in weeks, Sunset went back to her apartment, turned on her TV, and spent the rest of the break murdering zombies with a chainsaw. She had her friends and her princess back, and for the first time, she felt truly at peace. She only hoped it would stay like that.


	9. The Chimes of Midnight: Part 1

It had been a busy few months for Twilight and Emerald. Shortly after the Fall Formal incident, there’d been some kind of magical disturbance at Canterlot High once again, this time due to the arrival of three sirens called the Dazzlings. Neither girl had heard of them prior to this moment, but while their songs were well-crafted, they were hardly something neither Twilight nor Emerald imagined listening to frequently. Even so, whatever happened resulted in a magical spike at the city amphitheater so powerful that Twilight’s magic-measuring equipment overloaded and caught fire.

Luckily, there didn’t seem to be any further magic-related events over the next few months, which gave them time to focus on school. While Crystal Prep’s student body still treated Twilight and Emerald poorly, the taunting and bullying decreased significantly, perhaps because everyone knew that Emerald wouldn’t hesitate to attack anyone who laid a hand on Twilight.

Their partnership had other advantages too. Emerald, who was intelligent but had never managed to keep good grades due to how often she was in suspension, had the best semester of her academic career since meeting Twilight, ending the fall term with As and Bs rather than Cs and Ds. Meanwhile, Twilight’s teachers reported that while her work was up to its usual superior standard, there was a new energy and life to her more creative assignments that hadn’t been there before. One thing became clear: Emerald and Twilight didn’t just need each other, they _enhanced_ each other.

The only person who didn’t approve of the relationship (among the staff at least) was Abacus Cinch. As the principal of Crystal Prep since the school opened, she was a strict traditionalist in every sense of the word including in matters of romance, and a romantic relationship between two young women was simply _not allowed_. They could, after all, upset the reputation she’d spent 40 years building, and that would reflect poorly on her.

And yet, Cinch knew Twilight Sparkle was one of the brightest students Crystal Prep had ever seen. That intellect was key to putting an end to Canterlot High’s recent… _renaissance_. Whatever the secret was to the rival school’s newfound academic relevance, Celestia wouldn’t say. Cinch knew CHS would have to be defeated, and the Friendship Games were the perfect opportunity to make that happen.

“But how can I get Twilight to compete?” Cinch wondered aloud. “She won’t do it voluntarily… but perhaps if I threaten something, or someone, she holds dear…” She smiled slyly as the plan began to take shape in her mind. “Yes… it seems Ms. Wave will be useful to me after all…”

* * *

_“Twilight’s log, stardate 69751.1: Work on the second model of my spectrometer is almost complete, I just need to finish assembling the prototype. The 3D printed model I made will help with that. Once the prototype is ready, I plan to return to Canterlot High and take some new readings, to see if there have been any changes since last fall.”_

In her lab, Twilight was busy. It was after school, and she was doing what she always did: work on her experiments. with Emerald acting as her assistant. Currently, the young scientist was recording a log entry before beginning the day’s work.

Once she was finished, Emerald grinned over at her girlfriend. “I can’t decide which is cuter: that you record log entries like you’re an officer on the _Enterprise_ , or that you date them using the stardate system of all things.”

Twilight blushed. “It’s efficient, and it will keep anyone apart from us from figuring out when certain experiments were conducted. Not that anyone would have access to my logs, of course.” She tapped the monitor of her computer. “Everything stored on here is encrypted using a code I wrote myself, it would be impossible for anyone other than you or I to unlock it.”

“Because only we know the date we got together,” Emerald finished with a grin. “And what day was that, Commander Sparkle?”

“69084.1,” Twilight replied, beaming as she placed a kiss on Emerald’s cheek.

“I’ll remember it forever,” Emerald promised, kissing back. “Need any help with the spectrometer?”

“Actually, I’ve just about finished it!” said Twilight happily, holding up the new [spectrometer](https://bit.ly/2MUqguy). It was circular and consisted of a clamshell design made of purple metal and at the top, flashing lights that went around and around in a circle. When opened, it would contain any energy it detected rather than simply tell her it was there.

Twilight stood up and removed her lab-coat. “Ready to go? If we leave now, we can be back before Mom calls us over for dinner!”

Emerald grinned. “I was born ready. Let’s hit the road, Sparks.”

Twilight grinned back, and the two girls held hands as they hurried for the bus stop.

* * *

Across town, Sunset Shimmer was making her way out of school. It was already close to sundown, and the sky was no longer blue, but yellow and pink. As she came through the front doors however, a thought occurred to her: she hadn’t heard from Princess Twilight in a while, aside from a few brief chats following her return from Equestria over break. Deciding to take the initiative, Sunset sat down on the steps, pulled out her journal, and began to write:

> _Dear Princess Twilight,_
> 
> _How's life treating you in Equestria? Any cool new magic spells? It's been pretty quiet here at CHS since the Battle of the Bands. We still pony up when we play music, which Raven and Vinyl just love to show off. But I still can't quite grasp what it's all about. I would love to hear what you think about it when you get a sec._
> 
> _Your friend,_
> 
> _Sunset Shimmer_

That done, Sunset closed up her book and put it away, then stood up in time to see a bus from the inner city pull up. Two people, both probably teenagers, climbed off, though from this distance she couldn’t see too many details, since the clothing they wore obscured their bodies.

One of the students took out a circular device from the pocket of their hoodie, then walked over to the Wondercolt statue. They reached out a purple hand to tap the plinth… specifically the side the portal was on.

“Hey!” Sunset called out, leaping down the last few steps. “What are you doing?!”

Another student tapped the first one on the shoulder and pointed at Sunset, and both of them turned and ran across the street. Sunset tried to catch up, but some cars zipped by at that moment, forcing her to stop. The two students leapt onto another bus headed in the opposite direction to the first one, and by the time the traffic cleared, they were gone.

Sunset watched the bus drive off into the distance, tapping her chin in thought. “Who was that?” she wondered. Pulling out her phone, she quickly sent a group text to her friends, asking them to meet up at her place.

* * *

Back on the bus, Emerald breathed heavily as she pulled down the hood of her sweater. “That was _way_ too close, Sparks… we’re lucky that girl didn’t catch us, with legs that long she would’ve if not for the traffic.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the leg comment, but moved on. “Okay, so that field test didn’t go exactly the way I’d planned, but I do have some readings… during the Games we’ll be able to get a lot more.”

“You hope,” Emerald pointed out. “What if you get drafted?”

Twilight smiled. “Principal Cinch is never going to pick me to compete, Emerald. The Friendship Games are primarily a contest of physical strength, and P.E. is my weakest subject! There’s dozens of other athletes she can choose from!”

“Twi, your grade in P.E. is an A minus,” Emerald pointed out. “Sure, you’re small, but you know how to use it to your advantage. If I can see you’re prime Shadowbolt material, I bet Cinch can too.”

Twilight sighed as the bus pulled up to the stop near her house. They got off, and as Emerald began walking her home, she said, “Do you really think she’ll pick me?”

Emerald shrugged. “I dunno, Sparks. I hope she doesn’t. But it doesn’t hurt to prepare yourself.”

Twilight nodded and hugged Emerald tight as they reached her front steps, kissing the taller girl on the cheek. “I’ll look over my readings tonight and text you the results,” she promised. “I love you.”

Emerald smiled. “I love you too, Sparks. See ya tomorrow.” Kissing Twilight in return, Emerald headed off toward her own house just as the sun sank below the horizon.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sunset’s friends had arrived at her apartment, taking seats wherever there was an open space. Gem, Vinyl, and Octavia sat on Sunset’s couch, while Raven sat on the stairs that led to Sunset’s loft bed. Sunset herself was pacing on the patch of floor between the couch and the bed, recounting what she’d seen.

“She was definitely doing something to the statue – or was going to,” Sunset was saying. “I saw her touch the part where the portal lets out.”

“Do you think she came through the portal from Equestria?” Octavia asked.

“No, I'm pretty sure I woulda noticed that,” Sunset replied. “I think she was from over here. Both of them, I mean.”

“Well, that's a relief,” said Vinyl, throwing Sunset a smirk. “The last thing we need is another magical so-and-so bent on world domination coming over from Equestria.”

Sunset smirked right back in reply.

“Agreed,” added Gem. “I have no interest in another fight against the powers of evil magic. Wouldn’t it be just lovely if we could be normal teenage girls for once?” The rest of the gang made noises of agreement, Sunset included.

“You’re right, Gem,” Sunset conceded. “It _would_ be nice to just be a regular girl for once. But still, a mysterious figure snooping around the portal? Don't you wanna know what she was up to?”

“Well, you don't have to,” Raven said, springing to her feet and leaping off the stairs. “Because I've totally figured out who it was! Seeing as how they got off a bus _from_ the city and got back on a bus headed _to_ the city, I'll bet they go to…”

“Crystal Prep,” said everyone else, aside from Sunset, who just looked perplexed.

“With the Friendship Games starting soon, they'd totally try to prank us by defacing the Wondercolts statue,” Raven continued.

“Why would anyone take a bus all the way from the city for that?” Sunset asked.

“Because the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts are our biggest rivals?” Vinyl said.

“Because that's just what the students at Crystal Prep would do?” added Gem.

“Because even though they beat us in everything – soccer, tennis, golf – they _still_ have to gloat!” Raven finished.

Sunset shrugged. "Seems kinda silly to me,” she said, to the mutual surprise and offense of everyone else.

“So I guess you think the Friendship Games are silly, too,” Raven challenged.

“Well, it's not like we'll be fighting the powers of evil magic,” Sunset pointed out.

“No, we'll be fighting against a school full of wretched bullies,” Octavia said, adjusting her bowtie. “Not everything has to be magical to be important.”

Sunset nodded, realizing the error of her ways. “You’re right. I'm sorry. I know it's a big deal.”

“That's putting it mildly,” Gem said. “They’re still revamping the playing field in preparation.”

“I just don't understand why there's this big rivalry,” admitted Sunset. “Aren’t the "Friendship Games" supposed to be about our two schools getting along?” She made air quotes with her fingers.

“Well, it's kinda hard to get along with someone who beats you at everything,” Vinyl said.

Raven grinned cockily. “Not anymore! This time, things are gonna be different!”

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.

Raven’s grin only grew wider, like a magician about to pull off an amazing trick. “Oh, you'll find out.”

* * *

The next morning, homeroom and first period were suspended so the students could assemble in the school gym instead. Sunset, Gem, Vinyl, and Octavia took seats near the top, though for some reason, Raven wasn’t among them. This didn’t worry them too much, as it was not uncommon for the purple tomboy to arrive late.

Up on the stage, Principal Celestia spoke into a microphone. “As I am sure you all know, tomorrow, Canterlot High School will be hosting our fellow students from Crystal Prep Academy as we join together in the spirit of excellence, sportsmanship, and fidelity to compete in the Friendship Games.”

These words were met by decidedly unenthusiastic applause, which Celestia dutifully ignored. “Since the games only happen every four years, I'm sure you're all curious what goes on!”

“You mean other than us losing?” asked someone in the audience, very sarcastically.

Luna glared. “Mister Sentry, please report to my office following the end of the school day,” she thundered into the mic. “You have a new detention to serve.” She turned to her sister. “Apologies, Tia. You may continue.”

Celestia nodded and did so. “And that is exactly why I've asked Rainbow Dash to come up and give you all a little, um... context.”

At her cue, Raven came out from the side of the stage and took the mic, causing a squeal of feedback. “Thank you, Principal Celestia!” She cleared her throat. “I know a lot of you might think there's no way we can beat a fancy school like Crystal Prep at _anything_. And I know that CHS has never won the Friendship Games _even once_.”

“Oh, dear,” muttered Gem to Sunset. “I hope this speech isn't meant to be motivational.”

“Crystal Prep students are super athletic, super smart, and super motivated,” Raven continued. “But there's one thing they aren't. They aren't Wondercolts!” The school marching band struck up a tune, and Raven launched into a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FSY1d1H9tk):

> _We've fought magic more than once_
> 
> _And come out on top_
> 
> _There's other schools_
> 
> _But none can make those claims_
> 
> _Together we are Canterlot_
> 
> _Come and cheer our name_
> 
> _This will be our year to win these games_
> 
> _We'll always be Wondercolts forever_
> 
> _And now our time has finally arrived_
> 
> _'Cause we believe in the magic of friendship_
> 
> _And you know, at the end of the day, it is we who survive!_

The band began to march around the auditorium with Raven leading. Suddenly inspired, Vinyl plugged in a portable turntable and hooked it up into the gym’s sound system, adding a rock touch to the band’s music as the song continued, Raven’s words punctuated by the increasingly enthusiastic students.

> _We're not the school we were before_
> 
> _Yeah, we're different now_
> 
> _We overcame the obstacles we faced_
> 
> _We're Canterlot united_
> 
> _And we'll never bow_
> 
> _So get ready to see us in first place_
> 
> _We'll always be Wondercolts forever_
> 
> _And now our time has finally arrived_
> 
> _'Cause we believe in the magic of friendship_
> 
> _And you know, at the end of the day, it is we who survive_
> 
> _At the end of the day, it is we who survive_

Someone started throwing out the old blue and yellow fake pony ears and tails from the Fall Formal, and all the students put them on, clapping and singing along to the band’s tune:

> _Na, na, na-na-na-na_
> 
> _Wondercolts united together_
> 
> _Na, na, na-na-na-na_
> 
> _Wondercolts united forever_
> 
> _We'll always be Wondercolts forever_
> 
> _And now our time has finally arrived_
> 
> _'Cause we believe in the magic of friendship_
> 
> _And you know, at the end of the day, it is we who survive_
> 
> _At the end of the day, it is we who survive_

As Raven reached the last few lines of the song, she began to glow with magical power, sending her floating into the air. Purple pegasus wings sprouted from her back as she transformed into her anthro pony form, gaining fur, ears, a muzzle, a tail, and hooves. Everyone cheered and applauded, entirely used to such things by now.

Backstage, the rest of the girls all met up with Raven, all looking utterly ecstatic. “Raven, that was amazing!” Octavia cried, beaming.

“I feel like my school pride is at an all-time high!” Gem added, kissing Raven on the tip of her muzzle and scritching her ears, which made Raven nicker in response.

“Is anybody else wondering how Dash ponied up without playing her guitar?” wondered Vinyl.

“I know, right?” Raven flapped her wings like she’d had them all her life, hovering a few inches above the ground. “It's probably because I'm so awesome!”

“Maybe,” said Sunset, looking thoughtful. “I mean, you are awesome, but there's gotta be more to it than that, right? It just seems so _random_. I don’t really understand it.”

“Well, it would be nice if you girls could get a handle on it,” said Vice Principal Luna as she passed by. “We’d like to keep magic as far away from the Friendship Games as possible. We don't want to be accused of cheating.”

Octavia smiled. “Really, Ms. Luna, we don't need magic to defeat those hoity-toity Crystal Preppers!” she said to mutual agreement from everyone but Sunset.

Luna nodded. “Still, the Friendship Games are serious business. We don't want any surprises. Especially the kind that could cause us to forfeit.” She turned to Sunset. “Sunset Shimmer, you came here from a world of magic. Perhaps you can get to the bottom of _our_ magical development.”

Sunset smiled slightly nervously, “I'll do my best.” Luna nodded and moved on.

Turning back to her friends, Sunset added: “I think I better go focus on figuring out why Raven ponied up. See ya later!” She left, exiting stage right. As she did so, Raven’s pony features finally disappeared.

* * *

In the [library](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/e/e0/Sunset_Shimmer_researching_magic_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151013173210) of the school, Sunset sat at one of the work tables with several of her old magic books scattered around in front of her. She’d been here for the better part of an hour already, and yet she was no closer to figuring out what was going on with Raven’s magic. Grunting in frustration, she cleared her things and took out her journal, writing another letter to Twilight:

> _Hey, Twilight,_
> 
> _Haven't heard back from you yet. I guess you must be pretty busy with your role as princess. But I could really use your advice right now. You see, I've been given the job of keeping magic under control here at CHS, even though I still haven't quite wrapped my head around it. And now after seeing Raven pony up the way she did today, it makes me think her magic might be... changing. Everyone is looking to me to figure things out and I really don't wanna let them down. But I'm not sure I have enough experience with friendship magic to solve this. I hope you can help, I don’t think I can take care of this on my own._
> 
> _Your friend,_
> 
> _Sunset_

Then, heaving a sigh, Sunset laid her head down and quietly began to cry. Now she knew how Twilight felt with that counter-spell…

* * *

For Twilight, the morning began with an unexpected appearance from Cadance while she was getting her things for class at her locker. Twilight smiled. “Good morning, Cadance! Nice to see you!”

Cadance smiled, “It’s always nice to see you too, Twilight, but unfortunately I’m here for school business… Principal Cinch wants to see you.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Did she say why?”

“She wants to talk to you about the Friendship Games,” Cadance explained, starting to walk down the hall.

Twilight followed after her, looking only more puzzled. “But I’m not going to be competing in the Games! Why would she want to talk to me about them?”

“I admit I don’t know myself,” said Cadance. “But she asked me to have you report to her office as soon as you got to school. You’ve already been excused from first period.” She led Twilight through the school halls and up several flights of stairs toward Cinch’s office.

The [office](https://bit.ly/37FaNs0) was dimly lit, but large and well decorated with a carpeted floor, several bookshelves, and a skylight, but its most distinctive feature was the desk, and the high-backed chair behind it. Apparently, both the desk and the chair were once furniture in a Germane castle belonging to Cinch’s ancestors.

As she entered the room, Twilight was surprised to find the white-skinned, blue-haired form of her brother Shining Armor standing near one wall, wearing a purple Crystal Prep sweater that had been gifted to him by his and Twilight’s parents when he graduated. “Shining Armor? Why is my brother here?”

"As an alumnus, Principal Cinch thought he could provide some unique perspective,” Cadance replied.

“And it was my day off,” added Shining, smiling at his little sister. “Hey there, Twily.”

“Pleasant as this little family reunion is,” said a cold voice from the middle of the room, “I am afraid I must interrupt.” The occupant of the chair spun around to face Twilight.

Abacus [Cinch](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/5/5d/Principal_Cinch_ID_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151017144507) was a tall woman with a sharp chin and cold blue skin, and purple hair done up in a tight bun. She always wore a blue jacket with a matching skirt, dark pink pantyhose, and blue heels. Twilight had only seen her once before now, at the welcome assembly on her first day. Then as now, she exuded an aura of absolute austerity, and Twilight found herself taking a step back.

“Miss Sparkle,” Cinch began, “I suppose you’re wondering why I called you here?”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Twilight replied, stuttering slightly.

“I wish to speak to you about the Friendship Games, of course.” Cinch looked up at Shining. “Officer Armor, you competed in the games, did you not?”

Shining nodded, “I did.”

“And do you happen to recall who won?”

“Crystal Prep did,” said Shining. “We _always_ win.”

Cinch nodded, “We _always_ win. However…” she walked across the room to her trophy case and polished one at random. “Twilight, I'll be honest. It doesn't matter whether or not Crystal Prep wins or loses. The important thing is we are _expected_ to win because Crystal Prep has a _reputation_. And it is that reputation... my reputation that is responsible for everything we have here. For everything _you've_ done here. And you've done quite a lot, haven't you?”

“I don't know. I guess,” said Twilight, scratching her head. It _had_ only been six months, after all.

“Oh, don't be modest,” Cinch said, “You're the best student this school has ever seen. What I can't understand is why my best student wouldn't want to compete.”

“Well, uh…” Twilight began haltingly. She wished Emerald was there, her girlfriend always made her feel braver, just as much as Shining had when they were younger. “You see, Principal Cinch… I’m not really an athlete like Shining.”

“Nonsense,” Cinch said dismissively. “Twilight, you are a scientist, are you not? Surely even you can see that athletics can be seen as a science experiment of some form or other. Archery, for example, requires the use of physics to hit a target.”

Sensing his sister’s distress, Shining broke in to help. “Look, Twily, I know it's not really your thing, but representing the school is kind of a big deal. Plus, they could really use your help.”

Cinch nodded. “Precisely. Twilight, as I have said, yours is the brightest mind I’ve seen come through these doors since this school opened. You have the potential to carry our school to heights it has never seen before, and in order for that to occur, we willneed your mind in these Games.” She leaned forward in her chair, steepling her fingers. “No doubt, your brother has regaled you with tales of his own exploits during his Games. But this year’s Friendship Games will be unlike any other.”

“Why?” Twilight asked, unable to stop herself.

“It seems Canterlot High is undergoing something of a renaissance,” Cinch said. “Test scores are up, grades, even athletics are on the rise. You see, they are developing somewhat of a _reputation_. If this continues, they may even eclipse Crystal Prep in importance to the school board. This _cannot_ be allowed to happen.”

“Principal Cinch, I can't possibly participate in the games,” Twilight said in a rush, trying to get everything out at once. “I’ll be very busy in the next few weeks working on my inventions with Emerald!”

Cinch soured. “Ah yes, your… lady friend. Your relationship with Miss Wave is the other reason I wished to speak with you this morning.”

Twilight’s heart almost stopped. “Ma’am?”

“I believe your Emerald is something of a disruptive influence in the school,” Cinch said. “Was she not, Dean Cadenza, suspended for attacking another student during the first week of the autumn term?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cadance said, her eyes widening, “But there were extenuating circumstances!”

“So you say,” Cinch continued. “But I seem to remember the punishment for inter-student assault is academic probation and possible expulsion, a punishment she richly deserved. According to Ms. Wave’s transcript, she has the highest detention rate of any other student in the school, across all grade levels.”

Cinch turned back to Twilight. “Allow me to be blunt, Twilight: I do not believe your relationship with Miss Wave is conducive to academic success. In fact, I am surprised her enrollment application was approved in the first place, she has proven herself to be most unworthy of Crystal Prep’s exacting standards.”

“Uh, ma’am?” Shining said in an uncertain voice, “Where is this going?”

“Allow me to offer you a deal,” Cinch said, ignoring Shining’s question. “In return for contributing your agile mind to these games, I will allow Miss Wave to remain a student of Crystal Prep Academy, with certain conditions. Should you choose to not participate however, I will have her expelled.” She locked eyes with Twilight. “What do _you_ think I should do?”


	10. The Chimes of Midnight: Part 2

_“Twilight’s log, supplemental: Principal Cinch has asked me to participate in the Friendship Games this year against my will, and she has threatened to expel Emerald if I don’t. In addition, she has also declared that Emerald won’t be allowed to even attend the Games as a spectator, much less a competitor. Instead, she has been served with a three-day out-of-school suspension starting tomorrow.”_

* * *

In Crystal Prep’s cafeteria, Emerald was doing everything possible not to explode and frighten Twilight. She stabbed at her portion of lunch, tense with pent-up fury over the injustice of it all. “Three day suspension… what even for?! Did she say?!”

“She thinks you’d distract me from leading Crystal Prep to its inevitable victory,” Twilight said, looking forlorn.

Emerald rolled her eyes. “Bitch. Wish Dean Cadance could do something… but Cinch rules with an iron fist. There’s definitely not a whole lot you and I can do about it.”

“Maybe not about the punishment itself,” Twilight agreed, “But I think there might be a loophole you can exploit.”

Emerald raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

Twilight reached into her backpack and pulled out her official Crystal Prep student planner, which contained a copy of the school handbook. “Out-of-school suspension means a student may not be physically present on campus for the duration of the suspension period,” she read, before looking back up at Emerald. “Since the Games are taking place at Canterlot High this year during regular instruction hours, you wouldn’t technically be breaking the suspension rules since you wouldn’t be on Crystal Prep’s campus, nor at an after-school activity.”

Emerald smirked. “Well, someone’s gotten devious. I like the way you think, Sparks.”

Twilight blushed. “Just a little rules lawyering. Technically, I’m not breaking any rules by pointing out blind spots.”

“And I love you for it,” Emerald said, kissing Twilight’s cheek. “And this way, I can still help with your experiments! Assuming those are still happening, of course.”

“Of course they are!” said Twilight at once. “The Games will be my best opportunity to collect data! Being forced to participate in them will limit how much I can get, but I can at least get some.” The bell rang, and they packed up their things to go to afternoon classes. “See you at CHS tomorrow morning?”

Emerald nodded, “I’ll be there. Love you, Sparks.”

Twilight squeezed Emerald’s hand, “Love you too, Emmy.”

* * *

The next morning, Twilight joined the rest of her fellow Shadowbolts in boarding the [transportation](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/3/38/Twilight_approaches_the_Crystal_Prep_buses_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014005208) that would take them to Canterlot High. While CHS got ordinary yellow school buses, Crystal Prep got black and yellow coaches with the Shadowbolt logo on either side, and comfortable-looking [interiors](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/9/95/Trenderhoof_refuses_to_give_Twilight_a_seat_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014005358) with soft, cushioned seats that were black with a purple and yellow vertical stripe running down the middle, a similarly designed aisle, and even overhead compartments for baggage. The only problem was, there were several such coaches in the parking lot.

Twilight walked up to the first bus she saw, which happened to be the one Dean Cadance was standing next to, a clipboard in her hand. Next to her were four other girls: [one](https://bit.ly/3fv0kBU) had white skin, blue eyes, and immaculate purple hair, the [second](https://bit.ly/30LH1jK) girl had soft orange skin and blonde hair with green eyes and red-orange glasses, the [third](https://bit.ly/2YTD4qT) had pink skin and straight pink hair with blue eyes, and the [fourth](https://bit.ly/3hu53Wq) had yellow skin and pink hair with blue-green eyes. Their names were Rarity Belle, Applejack, Pinkamena Pie, and Fluttershy, respectively.

Twilight approached Cadance cautiously, looking unsure. “Dean Cadance, I'm not really sure where to go.”

“You could try the _end_ of the line,” Fluttershy grumbled under her breath.

Twilight blinked and turned to her. “What did you say?”

“Just that someone as smart as you should definitely go first,” lied Fluttershy, putting on a big fake smile.

Twilight blanched. “I… I didn't mean to. I was just asking! I didn't mean to cut in front!”

“Well, it's too late now,” said Rarity, glaring at Twilight. “So you may as well be off, _darling_.” She spat the word as if it were an insult.

Twilight climbed aboard the bus only to find herself immediately accosted by the very blue girl with rainbow-colored hair that had bothered her on her first day. She gasped in surprise, and froze up.

Rainbow smirked. “Well well well, if it isn’t Twilight Sparkle, Queen of the Eggheads!” she said. “Hey Sparkle, I got a question for ya! Are we gonna win?!?!”

“I... I don't know,” Twilight said, nervously playing with her fingers, “I-It's just... I mean... I heard that CHS is doing well now. With their reputation. And, I mean, it's not better than ours, of course. But we can't let them do it, you know? Win, I mean? Right?”

Dash sighed and gave up on her attack. “Ugh… you’re not worth the effort, Sparkle. Go sit down somewhere.”

Twilight nodded and walked down the aisle of the bus, only to find the rest of the occupants did their best to block her from sitting down. When she finally did find a seat, it was at the very back row of the bus, on the right hand side.

Sitting on the left hand side was Applejack, who said in a posh Manehattan accent: “That was a really bad speech. You should consider not speaking in public.”

Before Twilight could respond to that, her seat mate Pinkamena bounced up and threw her headphones over Twilight’s ears. “Dude, you have gotta hear this!” she cried, assaulting Twilight’s eardrums with rock music that was _definitely_ way too loud.

Twilight groaned. It was going to be a _long_ bus ride.

* * *

Emerald Wave did her best to remain inconspicuous as she approached Canterlot High. She wasn’t wearing her Crystal Prep uniform, instead she’d dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with red and white tennis shoes, and tied her hair back rather than wearing it down like normal. The idea was that she might have an easier time of avoiding detection by any CPA staff if she disguised herself a little bit, and pretended to be a Canterlot Wondercolt instead.

Crouching behind a bush near Canterlot High’s front steps, she watched as the buses from CPA rolled up to Canterlot High’s front entrance. Uniformed students and staff began to disembark to be greeted by CHS administrators, and one of them was Twilight.

As Twilight approached the staircase, Emerald cupped her hands to her mouth and whispered as loudly as she could: “Sparks! It’s me!”

“Emmy?” Twilight blinked, crossing the stairs to find Emerald looking up at her. “You made it! Why’d you tie your hair back?”

“So Cinch and Cadance won’t spot me!” Emerald whispered back. “Get going, people will think it’s weird if you’re whispering to a bush!” She put on a fake blue and yellow tail and matching headband and put them on. “If anyone asks, I’m a cousin of yours!”

“Got it,” Twilight replied, before pulling out her spectrometer and resuming the course it was sending her on. After making sure Twilight was gone (she was) and neither Cinch nor Cadance were looking in her direction, (they weren’t) Emerald vaulted over the edge of the stairs and followed her girlfriend’s trail.

As both girls walked down the hall however, something odd happened: the Canterlot High students all seemed to be waving hello to them, even greeting them by name, complimenting their looks, or saying how glad they were to see them both! It didn’t make any sense! Neither Twilight nor Emerald knew none of these people, and had never set foot inside the building until now!

Reaching an empty hallway, Emerald managed to catch up to Twilight as she paused at a set of lockers to check the readings on her spectrometer. Whatever energy it had found seemed to have vanished. Emerald, realizing Twilight didn’t spot her, sauntered down the hall and said in a sultry voice: “Hey, Twilight.”

Twilight looked up. “Emmy! You weren’t seen?”

Emerald shook her head. “Luckily, no. Did all those Canterlot kids recognize you?”

Twilight nodded, “It was the oddest thing… it’s like they know me, but I don’t know them!” She leaned in to whisper in Emerald’s ear. “You think they’re confusing us for our duplicates?”

“I’ll bet you anything,” Emerald agreed. Then she froze. “Shit, I think I can hear Cinch… quick! In here!” She dove into the first room she saw, which just happened to be the music room where the Elements were rehearsing.

“Oh! Twilight! Emerald!” said Gem, smiling at the two arrivals. “How wonderful to… see… you…” She trailed off. “Twilight, when did you start wearing glasses?”

“Since forever,” replied Twilight, straightening them self-consciously.

“And what are you wearing?” Sunset asked, furrowing her brow. “Some kind of uniform?”

Twilight nodded, “It’s for Crystal Prep. My school. Which I go to.” She frowned at the strange quintet. “Who are you people? Why does everyone at this school know who we are?”

Before any of the Wondercolts could respond to this, the sound of Celestia talking to Cinch echoed down the hall. Emerald dove behind a bleacher and hid, going out of sight just as the door opened.

“And our music program has especially taken off,” said Celestia, gasping at the sight of Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle? Is that you?”

“I must apologize for the curiosity of my prized student,” Cinch interrupted, coolly pulling Twilight away from the assembled Canterlot girls. “The smart ones are always curious. I'll return her to check in with the rest of her classmates.” She left, marching down the hall with Twilight in tow.

“I didn't know Twilight had a twin sister,” Celestia remarked into the silence.

“She doesn’t,” Sunset said. “I think that was _our_ world’s Twilight.”

Celestia nodded. “I… see. Well… alright then.” She left, muttering inaudibly.

Gem coughed politely. “Emerald? You can come out now, Principal Cinch is gone.”

Emerald came out from behind her hiding place and headed for the door, turning to glare at the five of them. “I don’t know who the hell you people are or how you know Twilight, but if I see _any_ of you looking at her funny, I’ll personally ensure you regret it. Got it?” She stormed off, heading in the opposite direction from Cinch and Twilight.

* * *

“I can't believe our world's Twilight goes to Crystal Prep!” said Gem in disgust as the five of them walked down the hall a few minutes later.

“You're saying that Twilight's gonna play against us?” asked Raven. “She'd never do that!”

“ _Our_ Twilight wouldn’t,” Octavia pointed out. “This Twilight may share her name and face, but that’s it! Otherwise, she’s her own person!”

“Our Twilight is a princess in Equestria and an expert in friendship magic!” Sunset said hotly. “And if she was here, we'd have already figured out why magic is randomly popping up during pep rallies and costume changes!” At everyone else’s shocked looks, she took a few deep breaths. “Sorry. I'm just frustrated that I haven't heard back from her.”

“Like you said, she’s a princess in Equestria,” said Vinyl. “Probably got problems of her own to deal with.”

“We certainly can't expect her to drop everything and pop through the portal whenever,” agreed Octavia. “Especially if it's to deal with something as minor as a few random pony-ups!”

“But they aren't minor!” protested Sunset. “Magic came into this world when I stole Twilight's crown. It's taken a lot for me to earn everyone's trust. If we have to forfeit the games because I can't think of a way to keep it under control…”

“Oh, Sunset, I'm sure you'll be able to figure things out,” said Gem, placing a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and smiling.

“You're the one who helped us understand what was going on with the sirens. Remember?” agreed Vinyl.

“I guess,” admitted Sunset. “But Twilight was the one who really figured out what we needed to defeat them.”

Gem shook her head a bit. “We would’ve lost if you hadn’t picked up that microphone, Sunset. What we needed to defeat them was _you_.”

Sunset smiled at that, cheered up.

Clapping Gem on the shoulder, Raven said “Come on, guys! Let's see if we can find any info about the events and come up with a strategy. You comin', Sunset?”

“I'll... catch up with you guys in a bit,” Sunset replied, letting the four of them walk off. Raven gave her a thumbs-up and Sunset headed back toward the main doors.

Checking her journal, she was dismayed to find its pages were devoid of any advice from the princess. “Still no reply… but maybe there's another way I could reach her.”

Smiling at a sudden thought, she closed her journal and ran outside toward the portal, placing her hand through the stone, completely unaware that Twilight was on the other side, her spectrometer open and ready for collection.

Rather than going through the portal, Sunset found her hand was stuck on the surface instead, like something was blocking her from going through. She could feel a sucking sensation too, like the magic was somehow being drained away.

“Hey, let go!” Sunset cried, just as the rest of the magic went whooshing into Twilight’s spectrometer. Both girls fell to the ground and caught a glimpse of the other.

“What did you do?!” Sunset shouted at Twilight, who was led away to go check in before she could reply. Now alone, Sunset tried to access the portal again, but found an entirely ordinary statue in its place.

“Where's the portal?” screamed Sunset, looking utterly horrified. “Where’s the portal?!”

The portal, it seemed, had vanished.

* * *

_“Twilight’s log, stardate 69753.9. My first proper field tests with the new spectrometer have proven surprisingly fruitful, as I was able to capture an especially large sample of that strange energy from the statue on the grounds of Canterlot High. Early readings show that the amount of energy held within the spectrometer’s containment unit is consistent with the ones I detected last September in my original investigations, seemingly confirming the existence of an inter-dimensional gateway embedded within the statue itself. While I won’t be able to deposit the sample until after tonight’s festivities in Canterlot High’s gymnasium, I can at least try and collect more data so I can complete a more detailed analysis after the Games conclude.”_

With her latest log entry recorded and saved, Twilight closed out of her phone’s voice memos app and headed the rest of the Crystal Prep students into Canterlot High’s gym. Emerald wasn’t in attendance, since she couldn’t risk being seen by administrators, so she was on her own tonight.

On the other side of the school, Sunset was informing the girls of what had happened earlier that day with the portal. All five of them wore party [dresses](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/a/ae/Equestria_Girls_in_new_outfits_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014145331). “What do ya mean the portal's gone?” Vinyl asked Sunset.

“I mean it's gone,” Sunset said bitingly. “It’s closed. It's not there anymore!”

“How'd that happen?” asked Raven, as they all entered the gym for the party.

“I don't know,” said Sunset. “But it has something to do with that Twilight.” She pointed across the room, where Twilight was wandering around staring at her spectrometer and not paying a bit of attention to her surroundings, so she didn’t notice the balloon until she bumped into it.

The mood in the gym was frosty as students from both schools occupied two sides of the gym, but didn’t mingle. Instead they preferred to interact with their own kind, making for a scene not unlike the Battle of the Bands from a few months earlier.

As Twilight continued to bump into things, Sunset stormed over, her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. Gem, Raven, Vinyl, and Octavia were with her. “Twilight, what have you been up to?” Sunset asked coldly.

Twilight jumped back in surprise, but before she could say anything, Rainbow Dash swooped over, glaring. “Who wants to know?”

“We do,” challenged Raven, glaring right back at Rainbow.

“All right, everyone,” cautioned Octavia, “Let's not get too competitive before the games even start.”

“The games aren't really competitive since _we've_ never lost,” Applejack pointed out.

“That's not a very nice thing to say,” said Gem, frowning.

Rarity smirked. “Sorry, darling, but these games aren't about being nice.”

“Well, you might use a _little_ tact!” Gem shot back.

As the group devolved into arguments, Vinyl wandered over to where Twilight was standing and offered her hand, smiling. “Hey there! Name’s Vinyl Scratch. Sorry about the confusion earlier.”

“Oh, hi. I'm Twilight,” said she, shaking Vinyl’s hand. “And that’s alright, it’s been a bit of a weird day.”

Vinyl chuckled. “You don’t know the half of it.” She pointed to the spectrometer, which was dangling from a necklace chain. “What’s that for?”

“It's sort of a spectrometer,” Twilight explained, happy to be on a subject she could talk about with authority. “I built it to track EM frequencies, but it can also contain anomalies. In other words, it measures things.”

Vinyl nodded, “Well, you don’t need that to tell you that this party completely blows.” She rolled her eyes behind her shades. “Whoever put this thing together sucks at their job. Luckily, I got just the thing in mind.” Grabbing Twilight’s hand, she pulled her along toward the gym doors.

Up on stage, Principal Celestia addressed the combined student bodies. “Hello, everyone! I'd like to take this opportunity to greet all of our visitors from Crystal Prep Academy and welcome them to CHS. I would also like to recognize the twelve students that CHS has elected to compete!” There was a brief pause as the indicated competitors, five of whom were Sunset’s group, all waved around.

“I don't think we could have chosen a better group to represent the excellence, sportsmanship, and friendship the games stand for!” Celestia continued. “Enjoy the festivities!”

Across the room, Vinyl and Twilight pushed two heavy boxes into the gym, for Twilight, the act of doing so required her to use every ounce of what upper body strength she had, which wasn’t much. “Vinyl, what in the world is in these?” Twilight asked, grunting as she pushed her box inside.

Vinyl grinned widely. "Party cannons, of course!” She pulled the lever for the light controls, dimming the main lights and causing a disco ball to lower. Upbeat [party](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-4_kklM-Kg) music began to play from somewhere as she threw the boxes over her head, lighting the fuses on the two cannons, both of which were colored to match her hair. Confetti, new snacks, streamers, and other essential party goods burst forth from them, completely changing the mood of the room.

All at once, students from both schools began to talk with one another, and even dance if they were so inclined, as if the rivalry between them no longer really mattered.

Vinyl, pleased at the sight of everyone having fun, began to lift into the air as the magic inside her began to change her body from human to pony. Unfortunately, she only got as far as manifesting her ears and tail before Twilight’s spectrometer activated, sucking the magic from her and tiring her out.

Twilight, meanwhile, watched in awe as a stray magical spark zipped behind one of the wooden bleachers and formed a crack, which widened into a rift. On the other side, she could see what looked like an alien [forest](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/4/44/Dimensional_rift_opening_up_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014160011) of some kind. Panicking, Twilight quickly snapped the spectrometer closed, and the rift disappeared. Then, she fled.

As Twilight left, the gym’s main lights turned back on and the music stopped as Principal Cinch stepped up to the mic, the warm atmosphere between the two groups of students freezing up as the rivalry reasserted itself.

“I'd like to thank Principal Celestia for her… _unconventional_ welcome,” Cinch began, her face and voice as haughty as ever. “It's been four years since the last Friendship Games, but it feels as though nothing has changed.”

Cinch paused to polish her glasses, then continued. “Canterlot High continues to pick its competitors in a popularity contest, and Crystal Prep continues to field its top twelve students,” she said, to Celestia and Luna’s mutual offense. “It is a comfort to know that even after so many years of _losses_ , your school remains committed to its ideals, however _misguided_ they may be.”

Cinch smiled a cold smile. “I wish you all the best of luck, regardless of the _inevitable_ outcome.” But with those words, the party died completely.

As they left the gym, Octavia squeezed Vinyl’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t look so glum, dear heart! I thought your party additions were splendid!”

“They definitely broke the ice,” agreed Raven.

“Yes, if only that Principal Cinch hadn't frozen it again,” Gem said, shaking her head.

“Yeah, she’s awful,” said Vinyl, looking thoroughly exhausted.

“What happened to you?” Sunset asked, looking concerned. “You don’t usually look this tired after a party.”

Vinyl shrugged. “I don't know. Everyone started having fun after Twilight and I fired the party cannons and I ponied up, but then the magic just drained right out of me!”

Sunset frowned some more. “Drained right out of you… hmm. Has anyone seen Twilight?”

“She _was_ right there,” Vinyl said, pointing to the gym doors. “Guess she skipped out.”

“Maybe…” Sunset sighed. “Anyway, guess we’d all better get home, big day tomorrow.” As the rest made noises of agreement, Sunset and her friends left the school, heading for the student parking lot.


	11. The Chimes of Midnight: Part 3

_“Twilight’s log, stardate 69756.6. While the Friendship Games begin today, my primary concern is the data I collected last night at the party. The energy is apparently so powerful that it can create ruptures in space-time and instigate a cross-species transformation, two events that should not be scientifically possible. Whatever energy this is, it does not appear to adhere to certain known physical laws. It may not even be from this universe. In fact, I’m beginning to suspect that it isn’t.”_

* * *

The Games began in earnest the following morning with the twelve competitors from each school participating in the Academic Decathlon, or Acadeca for short. As the name suggested, the event tested students on every aspect of the Canterlot High curriculum, from chemistry to home-ec and everything in between, with the final event being the elimination equation finale: one student from each school would have to solve an incredibly complex math problem.

The first portion of the event was chemistry, where the students had to correctly synthesize a particular compound. That one, unsurprisingly, ended in a Shadowbolt victory given Twilight’s aptitude for science, though Sunset received a high score for her own work.

The second event was home-ec, where the goal was to bake a cake. That event took up most of the morning since the cakes were all different sizes, which affected baking times. That one looked like it would be another Shadowbolt victory, Rarity and Pinkamena baking a purple and yellow layer [cake](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/a/ab/Suri_and_Upper_Crust_make_a_lavish_cake_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014181328) with the Shadowbolt S rendered in icing on one side, but then Gemini unveiled her own creation: a [recreation](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/a/ab/Suri_and_Upper_Crust_make_a_lavish_cake_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014181328) of the _Mona Lisa_ , rendered in icing.

“Gemini, this is truly impressive work,” said Luna, as just about everyone took pictures with their phones, up to and including all of the Shadowbolts. (Even Rarity and Pinkamena knew talent when they saw it.) “It almost seems a shame to cut it into slices.”

Gem smiled modestly, “Please, Ms. Luna, cut away! I can always bake another!”

The cake was sliced, and since it was so large, that meant everyone got two pieces. After a thorough taste test, it was decided that the Wondercolts won that portion of the event.

In the woodshop section, the task was to build a birdhouse. The Wondercolts [lost](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/9/9b/Sandalwood_and_Micro_Chips%27_poor_birdhouse_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014182454) that one handily, while the Shadowbolts not only succeeded, they turned in a two-story [birdhouse](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/b/b2/Sugarcoat_and_Indigo_Zap%27s_double-decker_birdhouse_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014182554) rather than a one story, with flames painted on the front. In the spelling bee, everyone except Twilight spelled a word wrong. She correctly spelled isosceles.

Last of all came the elimination equation event. Tensions mounted as, the gymnasium, Sunset and Twilight stepped onto the stage and faced two [chalkboards](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/8/86/Twilight_and_Sunset_in_elimination_equation_round_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014193630), which had a drawing of a triangle on one side with every angle marked except one. The task was deceptively simple: solve for X.

The two girls worked feverishly, with Sunset holding the chalk in her right hand while Twilight used her left, forming a perfect mirror image. When it was all over, the formulae were the same, but the results were different: Sunset had 30 degrees, and Twilight had written 20 degrees.

Cinch, acting as the judge, surveyed the two answers. The room was absolutely silent as everyone waited for her decision. Then, pointing at Sunset’s board, she said: “Incorrect.” Twilight, and thus Crystal Prep, had won.

On the stage, Gem, Raven, Vinyl, and Octavia all congratulated Sunset despite her loss. When she asked why, Vinyl replied: “That was as close to winning as Canterlot's ever been.”

But no one congratulated Twilight Sparkle. As everyone went to lunch, she left the gym and walked forlornly down the hall alone, unsupported by her fellow teammates.

Pushing open the main doors, Twilight was halfway down the steps when she heard a voice whisper: “Sparks!”

Twilight looked over to find Emerald hiding in a bush again and went down to join her. “Hey, Emmy,” she said, kissing the yellow girl on the cheek. “I was wondering where you were, I didn’t see you.”

Emerald nodded, stretching her arms a bit. “I’ve been here pretty much all morning, but I snuck into the gym when you were solving that math problem.” She smiled. “Congrats on winning by the way. That Wondercolt girl didn’t make it easy.”

“No, she really didn’t,” Twilight agreed. “And thanks, Emmy. It’s good to know someone at CPA appreciates me.”

Emerald nodded, pulling her girlfriend close. “Like I’d ever do otherwise. You’re the most important person in the world to me, Twilight. You don’t need to win some stupid contest just to impress me.” Twilight cooed and hugged her in response, unable to hide a blush.

Emerald watched as one of the Wondercolt girls, the grey one with the brown hair, came outside and took out a pitcher of iced tea, a sandwich, and a slice of the cake she’d made earlier that day from a basket.

As if aware she was being watched, Gem looked up and called over to the two Shadowbolts. “Hello! Would you like to join me for lunch?”

“Oh! Uh… sure!” said Twilight, walking over to join her. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name when we met yesterday. I’m Twilight, and this is my girlfriend, Emerald.” She offered her hand.

Gem shook it, “I’m Gemini Shadow, but my friends call me Gem for short. You can too, if you wish.” She took out two more slices of cake from her basket. “Would you like some? I got a little extra since I made it for the Games.”

“Sure,” said Emerald, sitting criss-cross beside Gem and Twilight and taking a fork. Spearing a bit of cake onto it, she took a bite and her eyes widened as she chewed. “Whoa… this is _amazing_.” Twilight made similar comments as she ate her piece.

“Thank you,” said Gem, smiling at the compliment. “I’ve always been fascinated by cooking and baking. At home I make all my own meals.” She took out two more cups and poured her guests some iced tea, which they sipped.

After a bite of sandwich, Gem smiled at Twilight. “Congratulations on winning, by the way. Though, it didn't seem like anyone on your team was very excited about it.”

“No,” Twilight confirmed with a sigh. “No one at my school gets excited about _any_ thing they didn't do themselves.”

“Then if you don’t mind me saying so, your school sounds awful,” said Gem, shaking her head. “Why don’t you transfer here?”

“You know, that’s not a bad idea,” Emerald said. “Yesterday’s weirdness aside, CHS seems like a pretty cool place. Certainly, your principals are a lot nicer than ours. Well, nicer than Cinch, anyway.”

“Too true,” Gem agreed, remembering Cinch’s speech at the party.

As they finished their lunch, Twilight asked Gem a question that had been bothering her: “I'm on the other team and you just lost. Why are you being so nice to me?”

Gem smiled and placed her hand on Twilight’s. “It looked like you needed it,” she said simply. “Both of you. Believe me, I know _exactly_ how it feels to be left out in the cold... I could hardly stand by and watch it happen to someone else.”

As she spoke, she rose into the air, a magical glow surrounding her as she started to change into her pony form. Though as with Vinyl the previous night, she only got as far as ears and a tail before Twilight’s spectrometer reactivated and began to suck the magic away. This time however, a small portal like the one that had opened in the bleachers the previous night now appeared below Emerald, sucking her inside. She vanished from sight, screaming in horror.

“EMERALD!” Twilight yelled, panicking as her spectrometer continued to steal Gem’s magic. She struggled with it, trying in vain to close it before it took too much. After a few tense seconds, the spectrometer shut with a loud snap. Gem was now lying on the ground, fully drained and devoid of pony features. She groaned, too exhausted to say much more.

As the last of the magic dissipated, a second portal opened up ejecting Emerald... or at least, a creature that _looked_ like Emerald. She had the same brown hair, green eyes, glasses, and yellow body she’d always had, but she was smaller, about 3 feet tall to be exact. She also wasn’t even remotely human, instead she had a thin coat of bright yellow fur, a small equine muzzle, huge eyes, a unicorn horn, triangular yellow ears that poked through her hair, a curly brown tail, and four legs, all of which ended in equine hooves.

“Emmy?” Twilight asked, approaching her girlfriend nervously. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” Emerald ventured, looking over her new body. She lifted a front hoof, then looked back at Twilight, who looked back. For a few seconds, both mare and girl smiled at one another in relief, and then...

Twilight screamed, springing to her feet and running as fast as she could back inside the school. Emerald galloped after her, no longer quite so concerned about staying hidden. Her hooves made loud clopping noises on the tiled floor as she ran, chasing after Twilight. “Twilight, come on! Wait for me!” she shouted, her voice entirely unaffected by the change.

Though Twilight ran as far as she could, she eventually reached a dead-end, and settled for moving around in a circle, keeping as far away from Emerald as she could.

Emerald soon caught up with her and sat on her haunches, her ears folding. “Twilight, why did you run away like that?” she asked, the hurt clear in her face and tone.

“Um, oh, I don't know,” said Twilight sarcastically. “Maybe it has something to do with the glowing girl, or the hole in space. Or my girlfriend turning into a talking horse!” She paused, and got down on her hands and knees, peering at Emerald more closely. “At least, I _think_ you’re some kind of equine... you look like a unicorn, but your muzzle is much too small, your eyes far too large... but you have hooves. Are you okay? How do you feel? What happened? Where did you go?"

“Hey, one question at a time!” Emerald protested. “This is pretty new to me, too. All I know is I fell through the glowy thing and then I was somewhere else, looking like this! Next thing I knew, I was back here!” Her ears perked up and moved to catch the sound of someone walking down the hall. “Uh-oh... someone’s coming!”

“Quick! Hide in here!” Twilight said quickly, gesturing to a mercifully empty trash can. Emerald dove inside and stayed as still as possible, trying not to move an inch.

“Ah, there you are, Twilight,” said Cinch, just missing the bizarre conversation entirely. “Who were you talking to?”

“Um, myself,” Twilight lied. “It's a nervous habit.” She coughed. “Were you looking for me?”

“Indeed, I was,” Cinch replied. “Quite a coincidence that the CHS students moving on to the next event are the same _nice_ girls who were so interested in you, don't you think?” She smirked a bit, placing her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. “Perhaps you should get to know them after all.”

“But I thought you didn't want me to,” Twilight said, sounding puzzled. The previous day, she’d reprimanded Twilight for fraternizing with the enemy.

“Let's just say I'm covering my bases,” Cinch said evasively. “Who knows? Perhaps they will reveal to you the secret to Canterlot High's newfound success.”

Twilight nervously straightened her tie. “I dunno. Spying feels kind of... wrong.”

“Well, it's your decision, Twilight,” Cinch said, walking away from the young scientist. It's not as if your lady friend’s continued attendance at Crystal Prep hangs in the balance.” She paused, and added: “On second thought... yes, it does.” Then she was gone.

Emerald climbed out of the trash can and nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “Ugh, that witch... what are you gonna do, Sparks?”

“I don’t know, Emmy,” Twilight replied, hugging the unicorn tight. “I don’t know.”

* * *

_“Twilight’s log, supplemental: this strange energy continues to surprise me. Not only can it open rips in reality and cause a cross-species transformation in select humans, it can also effect a species change in anyone who happens to fall through one of the rips, as Emerald has now been metamorphosed into some type of unicorn. Her physiology is undoubtedly_ _that of a mare, but certain physical characteristics match no known species of equine seen on this planet. It’s very confusing.”_

It was after lunch. Sunset and her friends were headed to the athletic fields ahead of the second event, discussing recent magical happenings. “All I did was offer Twilight and Emerald lunch,” Gem was saying. “Then I ponied up.”

“What happened next?” Sunset asked.

“I started to change, but then Twilight's pendant just pulled the magic right out of me,” Gem said. “I couldn't even stand up!”

“Like me at the party!” Vinyl exclaimed, snapping her fingers.

“So she's stealing magic…” Sunset said, sounding thoughtful. “That’s got to be it. She had something to do with closing the portal, too. If her pendant can pull in magic, maybe it also stole the portal!”

“How?” asked Octavia.

“I don't know,” Sunset replied, shaking her head and closing her eyes in frustration. “And the pony or person or princess who could help me figure this out is completely unreachable now!” She groaned. “I wish these games were over… it’d be a lot easier to focus if we didn’t have all these competitions.”

Raven nodded. “I don’t like it either, Sunny, but this is what we’ve got. For now, let's just focus on beating the Shadowbolts.” She grinned. “And as long as this event puts me in a playing field, I don't think we've got anything to worry about.” (Raven was, by far, the best athlete of the bunch.)

“Oh, it puts you on a playing field, alright,” said Vinyl, pushing open the doors that led to the field. It had been completely [transformed](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/6/60/The_Tri-Cross_Relay_field_revealed_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151014233159) from a mere soccer field to a miniature track, with areas for archery and motocross as well.

There was a silence as everyone took this in, then Sunset said: “Am I the only one who thinks this is overkill?”

Every other hand went up.

* * *

In accordance with the rules, the six competitors with the least amount of points had been eliminated during the first event, leaving behind the six with the most points between them. For the Shadowbolts, that meant Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkamena, Fluttershy, and Twilight. Likewise, the Wondercolts had been reduced to Gem, Raven, Vinyl, Octavia, Sunset, and Amethyst Star, who had joined the team at Celestia’s request to ensure an equal number of competitors on both sides.

Cinch paced up and down the line of her remaining students, stiff-backed and stern like a general inspecting her troops. “You will race in pairs,” she told them. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack will handle the motocross. Pinkamena and Rarity have requested the short track, and since archery is a standard requirement at our school, any of you should be able to do it. Twilight and Fluttershy will start us off.”

“Well, that's just marvelous!” Fluttershy grumbled under her breath. “If you want to lose before we even start.”

“Nonsense, Ms. Shy,” Cinch said sternly. “Given that Twilight won the last event single-handedly, I have every confidence that she will be able to pull her weight here.” She locked gazes with Twilight, leaning in close. “Won't you?”

Twilight gulped.

* * *

The Tri-Cross Relay, as the second event was called, worked thusly: the archers had to get across a short obstacle course before making their way to a stand, across from which were four constantly moving targets. Once all four archers (two from each team) hit their bullseyes, the motocross and speed skating teams would be able to complete their respective sections of the race.

At the sound of an airhorn, the relay began. Twilight, Fluttershy, Octavia, and Amethyst ran the course, jumping over hay bales, grabbing their quivers from the side of the course, and then swinging over some mud puddles to land on their firing platforms. Three of the four accomplished this easily, Twilight tripped over her hay bale and almost fell off the rope, but she managed to clamber aboard the platform in time.

Next came firing the arrows. Fluttershy, Amethyst, and Octavia fired theirs without too much trouble, but Twilight’s first shot missed the target altogether, much to Fluttershy’s frustration.

Eventually, Octavia had enough. Ignoring Fluttershy’s protests, she went to Twilight’s side and took the scientist’s shaking hands in hers, speaking soothingly. “You have to stop aiming at where the target is,” she explained, “And aim at where the target's going to be.” She smiled and removed her hands. “You can do this, Twilight. I believe in you."

Slowly, Twilight lined up her shot, focused on the target’s path, drew back her arrow, and at Octavia’s word, fired. The arrow zoomed through the air and hit the center of the target firmly, allowing the speedskaters (Gemini, Vinyl, Pinkamena, and Rarity) to go next.

“Thank you,” Twilight whispered, hugging Octavia tight.

The cellist returned the hug, smiling. “You’re welcome, my dear,” she said, starting to glow and transform. But Twilight had kept her amulet on, allowing it to drain Octavia’s magic.

“What are you doing?!” Octavia gasped through gritted teeth, wincing in pain and surprise as the magic was drained from her.

“I don’t know!” Twilight cried, managing to snap the amulet shut. The force of the magic entering the amulet sent her toppling off the platform, landing in a heap in the grass below. As she fell, the amulet bounced out of her hand and onto the track, where it unlocked. A portal opened up, and Twilight gasped in horror as unearthly plant tendrils began to poke through.

Unfortunately, the archers had taken so long that CPA had fallen behind on the scoreboard, but their speedskaters were able to make up the difference in short order. Soon, Crystal Prep and CHS were separated by only one point, and soon, they were tied altogether.

Twilight tried to run across the track to retrieve her amulet, but the speedskaters made that difficult. When she was finally able to get across, a huge green vine burst out of one of the rifts and tried to attack her.

At the last second, Vinyl put on a burst of speed and zoomed across the finish line ahead of Pinkamena by inches. The Wondercolts in the stands cheered and clapped, while the motocross team (Sunset, Raven, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack) got their green lights and began zooming down the dirt ramps.

On the empty short track, Twilight had managed to avoid one vine, but a second larger one belonging to a plant that resembled a Venus Flytrap grabbed her ankle and pulled her toward the rift it had come from, preventing her from reaching her amulet.

Meanwhile, more rifts opened on the motocross track. A vine burst out in front of Raven as she zipped along a dirt path and she swerved to avoid it, missing it by inches. In the stands, the students and staff were watching the entire affair in increasing shock and horror.

Sunset, for her part, was between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. She put on a burst of speed, catching up to Applejack when the vine struck, snatching Applejack’s bike and causing Sunset to skid to a stop, inertia throwing her and the bike to the ground.

Gasps arose from the assembled crowd. By this time, a truly enormous plant [monster](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/2/26/Ferocious_vine_attack_on_the_racecourse_EG3.png/revision/latest?cb=20151015135106) now covered most of the field, it snarled and snapped at everything It could reach. What had started as a game had turned into a matter of life and death. But events had spiraled so completely out of control that there was nothing the four principals could do, except (in the case of Celestia and Luna) hope that those five magically augmented students who had saved the school before could do so again.

Rainbow had decided to use the vine to her advantage, treating it as a ramp instead. She gunned the engine and zoomed up to the top, while just below her, Applejack hung on for dear life to her bike’s rear wheel, trying desperately not to fall. That was getting hard to do, since she could hear the sound of tearing and crunching metal as the monster ate her bike.

Soon, the monster’s mouth closed, and Applejack fell, but luckily, she landed on one of the monster’s vines and slid down it to the ground, unharmed but terrified. Raven zoomed past on her bike, going back to rescue the fallen Sunset, who was now about to become the monster’s lunch.

Raven extended her hand, pulling Sunset to her feet and onto her own bike. Once Sunset was safely aboard, she zoomed off.

“Raven! You saved me!” Sunset said as she held on to Raven for all she was worth.

Raven grinned at her, “I’d never leave a friend hanging,” she said, before starting to glow as all the other girls had done. She skidded to a stop and transformed, going full anthro pony. Even her outfit changed, slits appearing in the back of her suit for her wings and her boots morphing to better fit her new hooves.

Now a Pegasus, Raven grinned at Sunset. “We can still win this! You ride, I’ll fly!” She swooped into the air, leaving Sunset to climb aboard her bike and roar off to finish the contest. While Twilight struggled to free herself from the vine around her ankle, Raven took a look at the course from above.

Down below, Sunset and Rainbow Dash raced toward the finish line, avoiding the plant monster as best they could. As the monster closed in on them, Raven saw her chance and collided with the creature, sending its head crashing into the ground. Sunset and Rainbow jockeyed for position, but soon Sunset pulled ahead, winning the race for Canterlot. Twilight finally managed to close her amulet, closing all the rifts and causing the monster to vanish.

As the spectating Wondercolts cheered and the Shadowbolts booed, Cinch rounded on Celestia and Luna, enraged. “You can't possibly call _that_ a fair race!” she snarled.

Principal Cinch, we all saw what happened,” countered Celestia. “You can't think CHS had some kind of advantage.”

“Can't I?” Cinch asked acidly. “Even without your trained attack plants, your students have wings!”

“Well, the race certainly had some... extenuating circumstances,” Luna allowed. “Perhaps we should end the games now and declare a tie.”

“A tie?!” Cinch thundered, “Was this your strategy all along? To force us into accepting you as equals? I think not!” She turned on her heel. “The games will continue and Crystal Prep will prevail despite your antics and whatever performance-enhancing regimen your students are on!” She stalked off, Cadance following in her wake.

Down on the field, the mood wasn’t much better as Sunset’s group reconvened. “Is everybody all right?” asked Vinyl.

“Better than all right! We won!” Raven cheered, flying around in circles above the group.

“Yeah, we won, but somebody could've been seriously hurt,” Sunset countered, gesturing with her arms for emphasis. “The magic is going haywire and I have no idea how to fix it! We’re lucky no one got killed!”

Then, Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat and approached the group, looking apologetic. “Um, excuse me…” she began. “I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to learn about the strange energy coming from your school. I didn't know that it was magic or... how it works.”

“That’s okay,” said Raven, coming in for a landing. “We don’t know how it works either.” But as soon as she said the words, the amulet activated and began draining magic from her, changing her back into a human.

“Oh no, not again!” Twilight cried, trying desperately to close the amulet, but it was almost impossible to do. “I'm sorry! It just started absorbing energy on its own! But I'm not sure how!”

“What do you mean, you don’t know how?!” Sunset shouted, as the last of Raven’s magic was pulled inside. A new rift opened up, showing a nighttime sky.

“It also causes these corresponding rifts to appear!” Twilight exclaimed. “I don't know how that works either!”

Sunset exploded, the rage and fury she’d been keeping bottled up since yesterday letting loose like a firework. “Is there anything you _do_ know?!” she yelled. “Like how to get our magic back?! Or how to fix the portal to Equestria?! You're supposed to be so smart, but did you ever think that you shouldn't be messing around with things you don't understand?!”

“But I want to understand!” Twilight cried, tears in her eyes and guilt eating away at her.

“But you don't!” Sunset roared. “And worst of all, you put the lives of my friends in danger! They could have _died_ because of you!”

“I'm sorry!” Twilight screamed. “I didn't mean to!” Snapping the amulet shut, she ran off, hot tears rushing down her face, leaving a stricken-looking bunch of Wondercolts behind.


	12. The Chimes of Midnight: Part 4

_"Twilight Sparkle’s science log, Emerald Wave recording. Stardate... oh screw it, I don’t know. That’s Twilight’s thing, she can figure it out later. Anyway, here’s the deal: apparently this freaky energy that turned me into a mini horse thing is called magic, and one of the Wondercolt girls screamed at Twilight for messing around with stuff she didn’t understand. I wasn’t there, but you ask me, this girl was pretty far out of line. Twilight ran off in tears, so I’m doing the only thing I can do: comfort her.”_

Twilight was hiding in the rear of the CHS campus, her eyes red with tears at having spent most of the last hour crying as waves of guilt crashed over her. Emerald held her tight in her front legs, nuzzling Twilight’s cheek with her own soft pony coat.

“You know…” said Twilight eventually, “Hugging you like this… it kind of helps.”

“Yeah, it does,” Emerald agreed. “Must be how soft and cute I am. The more time I spend in this body, the more natural it feels.” She stared thoughtfully into the distance. “Do you think this is permanent?”

Twilight shrugged. “I have no honest idea… but I doubt I’ll ever find out for sure.”

Emerald blinked, puzzled. “Yeah? Why?”

“Because,” said Twilight, taking a deep breath, “When this is over, I’m going to return to my lab and destroy all my notes on magic.”

Emerald gasped, she’d never heard of Twilight intentionally destroying her own research before. “What?! Why?!”

Twilight looked forlornly into her girlfriend’s eyes. “I almost got people killed today, Emmy… I let my scientific curiosity get in the way of morality. Magic is dangerous, and I don’t want to be tempted by it anymore.”

“Twilight,” said Emerald slowly, “You do realize you just said that to a talking unicorn, right? _I_ am a magical creature now. I may not know how to use this thing, but I still have magic! So, if you’re going to cut all magic out of your life, then you may as well start with me.”

“Emerald!” Twilight cried, sounding hurt. “Why would you suggest such a thing?! There’s no force in the world that could make me even consider breaking up with you!”

“Yeah? Because it sounds like you just thought of one!” Emerald said, getting to her hooves. She gave her tail a few angry flicks and snorted, trotting away from her. In other circumstances, Twilight would’ve found Emerald’s rapid acclimation to her new species utterly fascinating, but not now.

“You’re leaving me?!” Twilight exclaimed, sounding extremely hurt.

Emerald turned to look at her over her shoulder. “You thought of it first, Sparkle. Not me. This is all on you.” She galloped away, disappearing in a few seconds.

Twilight, knowing the last event would be starting soon, walked mournfully toward the front of the school as storm clouds gathered above her.

* * *

Storm clouds loomed over Canterlot High as the spectators and contestants gathered for the final event of the games. This game, Capture the Flag, required the two teams to search the school for a pendant hidden somewhere inside. The first team to find theirs would be the winner. The only problem was, no one seemed to be in the mood.

In the Wondercolt half of the front lawn, Sunset and friends were huddling up. “I don't feel like playing these games anymore,” said Gem, frowning.

“But we _have_ to play. This is the last event!” Raven said.

“It's a little hard to focus with all the magic stealing and portal opening,” Octavia pointed out.

“And I feel awful about what I said to Twilight,” Sunset said, looking sick to her stomach.

Vinyl put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder comfortingly. “Let's just get through this last event and prove we're not a bunch of cheaters. Then you can go over and apologize.” Sunset only nodded in response.

On the other side of the field, Cinch was talking to her own students, entirely unaware that Emerald was hiding in a bush once again and making full use of her pony hearing abilities. “I know I'm asking you to beat a team that isn't playing fair, but Canterlot High must be made to understand that even with magic at their disposal, beating Crystal Prep is simply not an option,” she was saying.

“What if they grow wings again?” asked Applejack.

“A fair question,” conceded Cinch. “Though I believe we can now fight fire with fire.” She turned to face Twilight. “I've seen what your device can do, Twilight. _Containing_ magical energy is fine, but have you considered releasing it?”

Twilight’s eyes widened behind her glasses. “But I don't even understand how it works! Releasing the magic could have untold consequences! Who knows what could happen!”

“But you'd _like_ to,” Cinch countered. “And since our opponents have already used it to stay competitive, I see no reason why we shouldn't do the same.” Then [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl1aPAxVbaY) began to play from somewhere as Cinch and the other Shadowbolts began to sing, prowling around Twilight in a circle.

> _I realize that you've always been an outcast_
> 
> _It's not everyone at school who likes to think_
> 
> _To find a student that's like you_
> 
> _I've had one or maybe two_
> 
> _But the good ones disappear before I blink_
> 
> _Now, I understand you have your reservations (oh-wuh)_
> 
> _It's hard to have a brain as large as yours (oh-oh-oh-oh)_
> 
> _But if we don't win these games_
> 
> _Well, I think I've made it plain_
> 
> _What will happen if we have the losing scores!_

> _Unleash the magic, unleash the magic_
> 
> _If we lose, then you're to blame (ah, ah-ah-ah)_
> 
> _They all have used it, maybe abused it (ah-ah-ah)_
> 
> _So then why can't we do the same?_
> 
> _Call it power, call it magic_
> 
> _If we lose, it will be tragic_
> 
> _More important is the knowledge we'll have lost (oh-oh-oh-oh)_
> 
> _A chance like this won't come again_
> 
> _You'll regret not giving in_
> 
> _Isn't understanding magic worth the cost?_
> 
> _Unleash the magic, unleash the magic_
> 
> _We're not friends here after all_
> 
> _Our only interest in this business (ah-ah-ah)_
> 
> _Is seeing Canterlot High School fall_
> 
> _What I'm suggesting's very simple_
> 
> _And since it's win-win on all scores_
> 
> _You only want to learn about the_
> 
> _Magic that you have stored_
> 
> _And as for me and all the others_
> 
> _We only want what we deserve_
> 
> _That our school will clinch the win_
> 
> _And my legacy will endure!_

> _Unleash the magic, unleash the magic_
> 
> _If we lose, then it's a crime_
> 
> _But we can win it if you begin it (ah-ah-ah)_
> 
> _It's up to you to not fail this time!_

Across the field, the Wondercolts were realizing something was going on, as Sunset and Twilight walked toward each other, stopping at the edge of the sidewalk that led up to the front doors.

The Shadowbolts began to chant, “Unleash the magic, free the magic now,” over and over, as Twilight added her own verse.

“Imagine all I'll learn by setting it free…” she sang, taking off the necklace and holding it in front of her.

“And now winning these games depends on me,” she continued, holding the amulet out, about to open it.

“And what doors might open if I try to use it…” She glared across the field at the Wondercolts, locking eyes with Sunset Shimmer.

“But the magic's what I really want to see!” Twilight finished, unlocking the amulet as Sunset ran over to try and stop her.

At the same instant, Emerald dove from her bush and came out from behind, not caring who saw her. “TWILIGHT! NO!” she screamed.

But it was too late. Twilight opened the amulet all the way and a ball of magic darted out, sending out electric shocks then bursting outward, forming a sphere that exploded, knocking everyone to the ground and knocking Twilight’s glasses off her face.

But that wasn’t all. As everyone watched in absolute horror, Twilight was lifted into the air, a wind blowing as she dropped the amulet, a small ball of magic in front of her. It quickly grew, soon covering both of Twilight’s arms. She tried to move, to look down, to escape, but she could only move a few inches. The Shadowbolts all began to back away, horrified at what they’d done.

Twilight continued to struggle as the ball got larger and larger, becoming a little taller than she was, and much wider. Frightened tears coursing down her cheeks, she reached her hand out as the ball consumed her, screaming. “HEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEEE!” she yelled her voice echoing off the brick and stone around her.

“TWILIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!” Emerald yelled, indescribable heartbreak in her voice as she tried, in vain, to grab Twilight’s hand with a front hoof.

But she was much too short. And Twilight was too high up.

The students and teachers all watched helplessly as Twilight was entirely consumed by the magical bubble. Inside the bubble, Twilight was transforming, her normal lavender complexion darkening to magenta. Her hair changed, becoming wild dusky purple streaked with pink. She gained wings and a horn, magenta fingerless gloves with matching boots, and a dress composed of purple, magenta, and pink fabric. When it was over, Twilight had shifted into a taller, darker, more evil [version](https://de) of herself, managing to look beautiful and terrifying all at the same time.

Midnight Sparkle laughed maniacally as she gazed around at the students below, paying particular attention to Sunset Shimmer. “You were right! I didn't understand magic before, but I do now!” she shouted, her voice booming with power.

Her horn glowed bright blue as she channeled the magic through her hand, sending a large amount toward the Wondercolt statue. The decorative horse on top exploded, sending shards of rock all around. The Wondercolts shielded themselves as best they could, but that wasn’t all they had to deal with.

Pink and purple dimensional rifts sprang open all around the front lawn, showing various locations in Equestria, as well as several surprised and horrified ponies. Two opened out to Ponyville’s town hall, while a third showed Rainbow Falls. Midnight continued her attacks, the ground beneath them starting to crack and glow with magical light.

More rifts continued to open in random places, all of them showing horrified and panicking ponies fleeing for cover. Students tried to run but Midnight opened more portals, boxing them in.

Rarity, angered by everything that was going on around her, turned in time to see Cinch attempting to flee. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!”

“Anywhere to avoid that _monster_ ,” Cinch replied, pointing at Midnight. “And I suggest you do the same!”

Emerald, her ears pinned as far back as they could go and her face twisted into a furious snarl, bent all four of her legs and dove at Cinch, her horn sparking with so much green magical energy, she looked almost as terrifying as Midnight. “THAT MONSTER IS MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU BITCH!” she roared, sending Cinch to the ground. “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!”

But she never got the chance to hurt Cinch. More rifts were opening, faster and faster, and soon Emerald was forced to leave Cinch alone. She galloped across to the Wondercolt side of the field, avoiding as many rifts as she could.

Sunset looked up at Midnight, flashing back to when it had been her in the sky above the school, threatening humans with magic and laughing insanely. She steeled her resolve and spoke up, knowing that no matter what, her past wasn’t today. “Twilight, you can't do this!” she called out.

“Why not?! There's a whole other world right there, and it's just filled with magic!” replied Midnight, an evil smile on her lips as she opened another rift.

“But you're destroying this world to get it!” Sunset replied.

“So what?” replied Midnight flippantly. “There's more magic there, and I want to understand it all!” With that, Midnight used her biggest burst of power yet, causing the ground to start breaking up. But instead of revealing ground, it revealed an alien sky: the sky of Equestria’s Canterlot.

Students screamed and tried to flee, but as the ground cracked and gave way they found themselves falling, only to hold on to a lucky snag or get grabbed by another student on the edge, or a helpful Pegasus pony in golden armor.

Gem was one of the unlucky ones, she struggled to hold on to the ground, _very_ aware of her almost certain death waiting far below. Her fingers slipped further and further off the edge, then she let go. But before she could fall, two Shadowbolts came to her rescue: Rainbow Dash and Pinkamena.

“We got you!” Dash cried, as she and Pinkamena heaved and pulled Gem away from the hole.

It went like that for some time, Wondercolts and Shadowbolts working together to save each other, then seeking shelter inside the school. Sunset Shimmer picked up the fallen amulet and considered its workings, then turned to face Midnight, new determination in her eyes.

“Twilight!” she shouted. “This isn't the way! I know you feel powerful right now, like you can have everything you want! I've been where you are, I've made the same mistake you're making! I put on a crown and, just like you, I was overwhelmed by the magic it contained! I thought it could get me everything I wanted!”

“Oh, you're wrong,” replied Midnight, laughing at Sunset. “Unlike you, I _can_ have everything I want!”

“No, you can't!” responded Sunset, as something surprising started to happen. Gem, Raven, Octavia, and Vinyl all began to glow, their respective auras all flying into the amulet. “Even with all that magic and power, you'll still be alone! True magic comes from honesty! Loyalty! Laughter! Generosity! Kindness!”

The amulet closed as Sunset held it tight. “I understand you, Twilight, and I want to show you the most important magic of all...”

She threw the amulet down, snapping it open and undergoing a transformation of her own, for the third time in as many months. Only now, rather than a demonic change, her new form was more [angelic](https://bit.ly/2UTIIrs), like a nicer version of Midnight.

“THE MAGIC… OF FRIENDSHIP!” she shouted, ascending on wings of her own to face Midnight. For a few seconds, the forces of good and evil stared at one another. Then Daydream Shimmer began to close the rifts, repairing the damage to the fabric of reality.

Enraged, Midnight powered up and flew toward Daydream, who flew toward her. The two of them collided in midair, blinding all who watched as the battle continued, each girl sending blasts of magic toward the other.

On the ground, Emerald watched them fight, still worried for her girlfriend’s safety. “Twilight?” she called out, looking sadly up at the dark mistress of evil far above her.

Midnight blinked… and her eyes were Twilight’s again as she looked down at the girl she loved so much. “Emerald…” she whispered.

That gave Daydream what she needed. She sent one last burst of gold magic, countering Midnight’s blue, and then everything went white.

* * *

Inside the void floated Midnight and Daydream. Daydream spoke first, reaching her hand out again. “Take my hand, Twilight. Let me show you there's another way... just like someone once did for me.”

“But I’m scared,” Midnight whispered. “What if they all reject me?”

“They won’t,” Daydream replied. “Please… trust me. You’re not a monster, Twilight. And neither am I. We may have done bad things, but that doesn’t make us bad people. Out there is a girl who loves you more than life itself, and friends who will stick by you no matter what. Me, Raven, Gem, Octavia, and Vinyl… we want to be your friends… but only if you let us.” She held out her hand a little further, and waited.

With tears in her eyes, Midnight reached out and took Daydream’s hand. Purple skin meshed with gold, and then there was another flash of light, and it was over.

* * *

Twilight Sparkle, back in her Crystal Prep uniform, held Sunset’s hand as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk. Then Twilight opened her eyes and jerked back, her eyes wet with tears. “I am so sorry... I didn't mean for any of this to happen...” she said to everyone.

“I know,” Sunset replied, giving the purple girl a smile. “And going by my own experiences, they'll forgive you.” Then she pointed. “Oh, yeah… incoming.”

“Huh?” Twilight turned on the spot as Emerald Wave, back in her true human body once again, ran to Twilight and tackled her, sending them both falling onto the grass. Emerald kissed Twilight over and over, running her fingers through Twilight’s hair and smiling so hard her cheeks hurt.

“Emmy…” Twilight whispered. “You came back…”

“Damn straight I came back,” Emerald whispered back. “And I am never leaving you again, Twilight Sparkle. You’re the most wonderful girl in the entire fucking universe… hell, let’s make that _two_ universes. And I will love you until the day the sun expands.”

“I love you too,” Twilight whispered, kissing Emerald deeply and stroking the yellow girl’s brown curls, making them bounce.

Then, everyone applauded.

* * *

With the Games concluded, it was time for the Shadowbolts and Wondercolts to say their goodbyes. For the first time, students from both schools said goodbye to one another, promising to add each other to their MyStable or SnapGab pages.

One of the people who _wasn’t_ happy at the outcome of the Games was Cinch. She marched toward Celestia, fire in her eyes. “Principal Celestia, on behalf of Crystal Prep, I demand that you forfeit the Friendship Games!” she snarled. “Clearly, CHS has had unfair advantage for quite some time! And it's certainly obvious that your students have been using magic for their own benefit!”

“I'd like to think that saving the world benefits us all,” Celestia replied calmly.

Emerald, who had been standing nearby, rounded on Cinch. “And I would just like to point out that _NONE_ of this would have happened if _you_ ,” she pointed at Cinch, advancing on her like an angry wolf, “hadn’t manipulated and gaslit Twilight into doing what you wanted!”

“That’s ridiculous!” Cinch replied, glaring at Emerald. “How dare you make such accusations!”

“Actually, Emerald is right!” said a new voice. Rarity marched primly toward the group, straightening her uniform skirt as she did so. “In fact, the word on the grapevine is you threatened to expel Emerald if Twilight didn’t play! Is that a fact?”

Cinch stopped, her ire sputtering out abruptly. “I… suppose it is,” she eventually said. “But I had a very good reason! Twilight’s education is important to me!”

“The hell it is,” Emerald snarled, her eyes narrowing as she continued her advance. “You don’t give a damn about Twilight’s education! You never have! It’s all about your fucking legacy! And you try to remove anyone who you think could threaten it!” She held out her hand. “Rarity, give me your uniform jacket, please!”

“Certainly, Emerald,” Rarity replied, draping the jacket of her uniform over Emerald’s shoulders.

Emerald picked it up and held it up for everyone to see. “Here’s what I think of your Faust-damned legacy,” she said to Cinch, pulling hard on the fabric. The jacket ripped apart immediately as Emerald tore it to shreds before gathering the pieces and throwing them into a nearby trashcan like a basketball.

Rainbow Dash helped, bashing the jacket shreds into the trashcan expertly, before doing the same to her own uniform jacket. Then, one by one, each of her fellow Shadowbolts, from teammates to spectators, cheerfully ripped off some portion of their uniforms.

“WHAT IS THIS INSOLENCE?!” Cinch shouted, completely losing her composure at the sight of such open rebellion.

“This insolence,” said Twilight Sparkle, walking calmly over and taking Emerald’s hand in hers, “is freedom. Your reign is over… Abacus.”

"And what about the magic?!" Cinch roared. "Doesn't that count for anything?! Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but I plan on taking all of this up with the school board!"

"Good," said Celestia airily. "I'm sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings."

"Oh, and the portals to different dimensions," added Cadance.

"Because that would _never_ ruin your reputation," Luna finished dryly.

Snarling in indescribable rage, Cinch gave up and stomped away, knowing the battle was lost.

Turning to the crowd, Celestia beamed around at everyone as she said, “Well, I know these Friendship Games haven't been what any of us expected, but given what we've all just been through, I think it's fair to declare us all winners,” she said, to wild applause from all assembled.

* * *

“So Twilight, what are you going to do next?” Cadance asked, as the assorted Shadowbolts began boarding the buses to return to their neighborhood. “I think I may end up being promoted before the day is over… you and Emerald are more than welcome to continue your studies at CPA.” She smiled warmly at her sister-in-law.

Twilight shook her head, hugging Cadance tight. “No… Emmy and I were talking about it earlier, and it seems like that while I may know about a lot of things, friendship isn't really one of them. But the students here at CHS know an awful lot about the subject, so…”

Cadance chuckled. “You want to transfer here instead. Well, you’d certainly be missed at Crystal Prep." She ruffled Twilight's hair and hugged her. "But I think that's a great idea! I'll be sure to speak to Principal Celestia about it right away.” She kissed Twilight gently on the forehead, then left to go and do just that.

Back near the portal, Sunset and friends had gathered around Sunset’s journal, which was still blank.

“Still no word from Princess Twilight?” Gem asked Sunset curiously.

Sunset shook her head, “Not yet. But I think I may have figured out how magic works in this world!”

“Really?” Raven blinked. “How’s that?”

“We pony up when we're showing the truest part of ourselves,” Sunset explained. “I was so busy waiting for someone else to give me the answers that I gave up looking for them myself.” She straightened up, putting the book back into her bag. “I'm sure there will be more magical problems that pop up in this world, but like Raven said, Princess Twilight has her own problems to worry about in Equestria. We can't expect her to always be around to help us.”

“But maybe I can be?” Twilight asked in a hopeful voice, as she and Emerald approached. “I know we didn’t get off on the right foot before, but I really do think you girls seem like nice people. I'm not sure how much help Emerald and I could be. But we’d like to try, if you would all give us a chance.”

Principal Celestia smiled. “Well, it seems we have two new Wondercolts here at Canterlot High. I'm sure I can count on you girls to help her feel at home.” She smiled at Sunset and her friends.

Sunset nodded, smiling widely as the seven girls all piled together for a group hug. “You sure can,” she said, as the light of day began to fade into night.


End file.
